Gujarat is taking a scientific approach to sports talent identification, with researchers beginning to collect DNA samples from athletes as part of a state-backed sports genomics programme.
The initiative seeks to combine genetic information with athletes’ physical characteristics and performance records to build detailed profiles. Officials said the data could eventually support talent identification, training plans, recovery strategies, injury management and nutritional guidance.
The programme is being implemented by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) under the Department of Science and Technology. As part of the initiative, the Gujarat Athlete Genome Database (G-AGD) will be developed to bring together genetic, physical and sports-performance information of athletes.
Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia described the initiative as the first of its kind in India. According to an official statement, he said the objective was to integrate genomics with sports science, physiology and nutritional science to create a more scientific and evidence-based system for identifying and developing sporting talent.
GBRC researchers have already started collecting samples from athletes across different disciplines. The first phase focused on tennis players associated with the Gujarat State Tennis Association. The programme will next cover athletes in archery, fencing, judo and shooting associated with the Vijayi Bharat Foundation.
The state plans to collect and analyse around 2,000 DNA samples during the current year and expand the database to 10,000 samples over the next five years, said Digvijaysinh Jadeja, mission director of the Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission.
Athletes will be studied across three age groups below 14 years, 14 to below 18 years and those above 18. State and national-level champions will receive priority under the programme.
The proposed database will cover athletes from a broad range of disciplines, including athletics, swimming, boxing, wrestling, judo, taekwondo, gymnastics, fencing, football, hockey, handball, volleyball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis, kabaddi, kho-kho, archery, shooting and chess.
Sports genomics examines whether genetic variations are associated with characteristics such as muscle composition, endurance, metabolism, exercise response, recovery and vulnerability to injuries. Officials said such information, when combined with conventional sporting assessments, could help identify promising athletes and develop more personalised training and nutrition programmes.
P Bharathi, secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, said the initiative would supplement traditional methods of talent identification. She noted that athletes have historically been assessed through physical attributes, coaching evaluations and performance trials, while the Gujarat programme would add genetic and biological information to create a broader athlete profile.
The initiative comes as Gujarat prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. Officials believe the use of scientific data could help identify and prepare athletes with the potential to compete at national and international levels.
At the same time, authorities have emphasised the need to protect the sensitive genomic information being collected. A two-level barcoding system has been proposed to safeguard athletes’ identities, while controlled access and responsible handling of the data will be required as the database grows.