01 - 09 - 2026

An Indian State Launches the country’s first sports genomics programme

Gujarat has launched India’s first state-level Sports Genomics Programme, seeking to bring genetic research together with sports science, physiology and nutrition to develop a more scientific approach to athlete identification, training and performance.

The programme is being implemented under the supervision of the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), which has already begun collecting biological samples from athletes across different sporting disciplines.

The initiative will study genetic variations that may be associated with athletic characteristics such as endurance, muscle composition, power, metabolism, response to exercise and susceptibility to injuries. The programme, however, does not assume that a single gene can determine an athlete’s future performance, recognising that sporting success depends on a combination of genetics, coaching, training, nutrition, lifestyle, infrastructure and social support.

According to Gujarat Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia, the programme has set a target of collecting around 2,000 athlete samples during its first year. The first batch of samples has been collected from tennis players associated with the Gujarat State Tennis Association.

Athletes from disciplines including archery, fencing, judo and shooting are expected to be covered in subsequent phases.

Over five years, Gujarat plans to collect and analyse approximately 10,000 athlete samples, with around 2,000 samples targeted annually. The programme will cover athletes across multiple disciplines, including athletics, swimming, gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, judo, taekwondo, football, hockey, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, tennis, kabaddi, archery, shooting and chess.

The sampling programme is also expected to cover different age groups, including athletes below 14 years, those between 14 and 18 years, and those above 18 years. State and national-level champions have been identified as important subjects for the research.

One of the key outcomes planned under the initiative is the creation of the Gujarat Athlete Genome Database (G-AGD). The database is expected to bring together genetic, physiological and performance-related information and could eventually serve as a scientific resource for athlete development.

The information generated through the programme is intended to support areas such as athlete identification, injury-risk assessment, personalised training and recovery programmes, and nutrition planning. The initiative comes as Gujarat works to strengthen its sports ecosystem ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, while also seeking to develop capabilities at the intersection of biotechnology and elite sports.

By combining conventional performance assessments with genomic and physiological information, the programme aims to provide coaches and sports-science professionals with deeper insights into how individual athletes respond to different training loads, exercise intensity and recovery requirements.

Gujarat also intends to develop itself as a Sports Biotechnology Innovation Hub, connecting the state’s biotechnology capabilities with sports research and high-performance athlete development.

However, the collection and use of genomic information also brings significant data-protection requirements. Genomic data is highly sensitive, making informed consent, secure storage and strict access controls important components of any such programme.

The proposed framework includes informed consent, secure data storage, access controls and two-level barcoding to protect athlete information.

If successfully implemented, Gujarat’s Sports Genomics Programme could provide a new research framework for understanding athletic performance in Indian populations while integrating biotechnology more closely with sports training and athlete development.

By Subramanya Joshi