If India is at the forefront of sporting events today, A major contributory factor to India, being at the forefront of sporting events, is the rising level of professionalism in sports physiotherapy in the country. And if there is one person responsible for laying the foundation of this stream of sports medicine, it is Dr. Ali Irani, who has to his credit the accolade of being India's first physiotherapist for over a decade (1987 - 1997) for the Indian cricket team. Physiotherapists are known to be engineers of the finest machine - the human body. Over the last 40 years, Dr. Ali Irani has seen the sporting calendar grow with India bettering its performance at World Cups or Championships, but also hosting international tournaments domestically like Asian Games, Indian Premier League cricket, Formula One Grand Prix motor racing, Hockey India League, I-League Football and a host of other sporting encounters.
Thanks to the efforts of the pioneers like Dr. Ali Irani, physiotherapy in India has grown by leaps and bounds. He has ensured the acceptance and imperative of physiotherapy, which is now increasingly used on cricket fields, at tennis courts, across golfing ranges, along marathon courses and in boxing rings. It is medical professionals like him that keeps sports persons - running, jumping, bowling, hitting, boxing, shooting, swimming; and moving well. Dr. Ali Irani by raising the standard of physiotherapy in the country has made his national contribution to sports by enhancing many a world class athlete's performance to meet international demands.
Dr Ali Irani is a renowned sports physio and pioneer in sports physiotherapy when very few with such expertise were around sporting arena. He was the first physiotherapist for the Indian Cricket Team from 1987 to 1997. Through his expertise, Dr. Ali Irani managed to take care of a lot of injuries on the spot. The players could therefore bounce back and many didn’t even have to be replaced because they could be treated and put back on the game as soon as possible. More importantly, he famously pushed the Indian cricket team to warm up and exercise together to promote team spirit; he then stayed on with the team for 10 years.Dr. Ali Irani also believes that for better physical & mental well-being, any sports professional should take one whole day off a week. This day should be kept aside to totally unwind and must therefore involve no playing, no shooting, parties or travelling.
