Bhubaneswar: Sports Science India (SSI), under the leadership of Dr. Sarthak Patnaik, successfully launched its flagship Young Athlete Program (YAP) at Happy Hours School, Saheed Nagar, Bhubaneswar.

The inaugural camp witnessed enthusiastic participation from more than 50 students along with their parents and teachers, making it a significant step towards integrating sports science into school education.

The Young Athlete Program (YAP) is an initiative of Sports Science India dedicated to identifying and nurturing young sporting talent through scientific assessment and evidence-based guidance. The program focuses on physical literacy, movement analysis, fitness evaluation, injury prevention and long-term athlete development, enabling children to discover their sporting potential from an early age.

During the camp, children underwent age-specific sports science assessments while parents and teachers were educated on the importance of fitness, nutrition, posture, injury prevention and structured athletic development. Each child will receive an Athlete Report Card with recommendations to help guide their physical growth and sporting journey.

The camp was guided by Sports Physiotherapists Dr. Dibya Prakash Kar, Dr. Pooja Mehta and Dr. Dawa Sherpa, with valuable assistance from Subhadra, Sandhya and Pravasini, whose dedication ensured the smooth conduct of the program.

Sports Science India plans to expand the Young Athlete Program across schools in Odisha and India, creating a healthier and scientifically developed generation of future athletes.

“The Young Athlete Program is a vision to introduce sports science at the grassroots level. Every child deserves an opportunity to understand their physical strengths and develop in a safe, scientific and structured manner. Through YAP, we aim to build healthier children, reduce sports injuries and help identify future champions. I sincerely thank Happy Hours School and Principal Nidhi Dhawan for believing in this initiative and becoming the first school to partner with us,” said Dr. Sarthak Patnaik, Founder, Sports Science India.

Happy Hours School Principal Nidhi Dhawan also expressed happiness over the launch of Young Athlete Program (YAP). “We are delighted to host the first Young Athlete Program by Sports Science India. The initiative has provided our students, parents and teachers with valuable insights into scientific fitness assessment and athlete development. We appreciate the efforts of Dr. Sarthak Patnaik and his team and look forward to continuing this partnership for the benefit of our children,” Dhawan said.