In the realm of sports and exercise medicine, few individuals have made as significant a contribution as Dr. Chathuranga Ranasinghe. He is a prominent figure in the field of sports and exercise medicine internationally. As a specialist, academic, and researcher, he has dedicated his career to promoting physical activity, preventing injuries, and enhancing the performance of athletes.

 

Recently, his outstanding contributions were recognized through prestigious awards, including the 7th Sheikh Fahad Hiroshima-Asia Sports Medicine and Science Award and his inclusion among the top 100 scientists in Asia by the Asian Scientist Magazine. In an exclusive interview with GoodSport, Dr. Ranasinghe shared his journey and insights of the realm of sports.

 

We kick started the interview inquiring about his background.

 

He replied, “My specialty is Sports and Exercise medicine so I am a practicing consultant doctor. At the same time, I work at the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Colombo as an academic Senior Lecturer. Also, I am the Director of the Sports and Exercise Medicine Unit in the Faculty of Medicine. So that’s the background of my work.

 

“If I talk about my school days, I went to Ananda College. I represented school in 2 sports – Badminton and Cricket. And then I got selected to Faculty of Medicine – University of Colombo to study Medicine. And then during that time also, I did some sports and represented the university in Badminton and Cricket. With time, I developed the interest in sports and exercise medicine. Then I went on to do my postgraduate studies in sports and exercise medicine – first a diploma and then I went to Australia to do my PhD in Sports and Exercise Medicine. I returned in 2018 and now I am here working in the academic and health sectors. I am also a part of the Medical Committee - National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.

 

Then we moved onto discussing about his field and how it’s related to sports and medicine.

 

He answered with – “As I said earlier, Sports and Exercise Medicine is a discipline and initially it was called ‘Sports Medicine’. But it developed to another name – ‘Exercise Medicine’, because initially sports medicine was only for athletes. With time, with the development of a lot of diseases like diabetes and obesity, there was a need in the world to do exercise as a form of therapy and medicine. Then it is dragged into the medical field with Exercise Medicine.

 

“Now Sports and Exercise Medicine is developing and broadening its horizons and going into different areas in medicine. But here we are talking mainly about Sports Medicine, which applies to athletes – professional and recreational. So mainly what we are looking at is the total health of a sporting person – may it be a recreational or an elite athlete. So we look after their health and prevent them from getting diseases and injuries, and if they do get injuries, to quickly rehabilitate them and get back to doing their sport.

 

“There is an another aspect called Performance Enhancement. Before, they get into that, sport is all about improving performance. So we are involved in developing different kinds of interventions to improve an athlete’s performance. So in this Sports and Exercise Medicine field, it is working with other specialties allied in the health field like Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning, Biomechanics. So there are a lot of other specialties also that we work closely with to improve the performance of an athlete and also to get them being healthy in order to be functioning for a long time. So that’s the scope of Exercise and Sports Medicine. But I play another role because I am an academic in the University of Colombo, where I am a Senior Lecturer in Sports and Exercise medicine. So we do teach people – like Doctors, Physiotherapists, Sports Science graduates on these areas, and at the same time we conduct research - we work on different aspects to see how we can improve athletes, their fitness, maybe their recovery, etc. So I have these two aspects to play as a doctor and also as an academic.

 

Dr. Chathuranga Ranasinghe's contributions to sports medicine have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded the 7th Sheikh Fahad Hiroshima-Asia Sports Medicine and Science Award in line with the Asian Games 2022, in October last year and was also listed among the top 100 scientists in Asia by the Asian Scientist Magazine in June 2023. So next, we went on to discuss about these occasions.

 

He responded, “Since I came back in 2018, I have been working with the NOC SL, the Ministry of Sport and also in the health sector. Every 4 years with the Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia, which is the authority of Olympic sport in Asia who organize the Asian Games, put up an award for Sport and Exercise Medicine. It is called the Sheikh Fahad Hiroshima Sports Medicine and Science Award. There are 45 countries in Asia who do Olympic Sport, and from all those counties, one individual from each country is nominated from the respective National Olympic body. So it is a competitive type of an activity where all these applicants are reviewed by the Hiroshima Sports Association in Japan and then, they competitively award one person.

 

“So last year, in line with the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, the award was advertised and I was fortunate to be nominated from the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka – for which, I would like to thank the President and the committee for that. This award is given mainly for your research and the contribution you have made to the system and to the region - basically for the impact that you have made. So, I was assessed under these criteria and was able to win this award. Last year in Cambodia at their general assembly, they presented the award. We were fortunate since this was the first time a South Asian received such an award and I was very humbled and very thankful for all the people who helped.

 

“Then every year, the Asian Scientist Magazine, which is one of the well-recognized magazines in Asia based in Singapore, list the top 100 most impactful scientists in Asia from all the disciplines. So in that group, I was listed with another 4 Sri Lankans from different other fields and that was published in June 2023. That was a very humbling occasion and I would say a very happy occasion to me. And also I feel, in our system in Sri Lanka – we are at a very challenging time now where everybody is trying to leave the country with no hope. So occasions like these, they give hope and shows promise in our country.”

 

We wrapped up by discussing his view into the future of the Sports and the intersection of Sports, Science, Medicine and Technology.

 

Dr. Ranasinghe initially shed light on the expanding horizons of Sport and Exercise medicine. He noted that while Sri Lanka currently stand relatively behind in the field, there is immense potential for growth. By developing the discipline and bringing in graduates and undergraduates from various allied fields, such as sports medicine, science, and engineering, Sri Lanka can establish a robust framework for advancing sports medicine and enhancing athletic performance.

 

To propel the field forward, Dr. Ranasinghe stressed the significance of collaboration. By fostering partnerships between experts from diverse disciplines, the potential for breakthroughs in athlete performance, injury prevention, and recovery can be maximized. This collaborative approach would allow for a comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of the interplay between physical activity, medicine, and performance optimization. He also highlighted the critical roles of sports science and engineering in advancing sports medicine. These disciplines provide essential tools and techniques to assess and enhance an athlete's performance. Sports science explores various aspects of training, biomechanics, and physiology, while biomedical engineering focuses on developing innovative technologies and interventions to aid in injury prevention and rehabilitation. By integrating these fields into the realm of sports medicine, Sri Lanka can harness the power of cutting-edge research and practical applications to elevate the performance and well-being of its athletes.

 

By nurturing a new generation of professionals with specialized knowledge and skills, Sri Lanka can foster a sustainable ecosystem for sports medicine. These programs would not only equip individuals to contribute to research and innovation but also provide vital resources for athletes to receive comprehensive care and support throughout their sporting journeys.

 

This holistic approach will undoubtedly support athletes in reaching new levels of excellence while ensuring their long-term health and well-being. The future holds immense promise for the field, and with concerted efforts, Sri Lanka can cultivate a vibrant sports medicine landscape that benefits athletes and the entire nation alike.