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The advent of technology and the concept of using sports as a tool to make the world a global village and bring people from different nations closer together has paved the way for more skill, competition and innovation. The growing appetite for glory and the increase in the level of skills and competition, however, make athletes more prone to injuries and accidents than ever before.
There have been continuous efforts by sports bodies and associations to make and enforce sports gear and uniforms that are not only player-friendly but which also allow them to perform better besides being safer. Protective gear and shoes for different games are being made specifically in accordance with the requirements of the playing environment and conditions.
One of the key objectives when designing these is to keep the players safe from any untoward injuries that they might suffer during the game or at least keep them to the minimal.
Protective gear
It was only natural that protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, pads and guards made their way into sports like cricket, ice hockey and rugby where the players would be exposed to indifferent opposition. The protection reinforced by such gear, although still not perfected, helped the players in the respective sports to assume innovative positions when on the field. These positions sometimes are critical to the strategic perspective of the game plan and give new flair to the game. Without some of the protective gear, playing rugby or fielding on the silly mid-on position in cricket would have been like committing suicide. The protection also provides the player with the freedom to perform with full devotion to the best of his or her abilities with lesser concern about getting injured.
To a certain extent, the elbow caps, knee caps, helmet and even the provision of brakes for that matter while skating or cycling provide the same purpose of protection and safety for the athletes. Similarly, in sports such as sailing and yachting along with keeping the wind limits in check, the protective gear may include highly visible helmets, locator devices, hands-free breathing apparatus, protective armour, buoyancy aids and even life jackets so that in the event of drowning or the yacht’s turning over, the embarrassed player if he or she is in the open sea, may float till help arrives or be able to swim back to land.
Rules and regulations
Other than protective gear and safety from environmental hazards, the rules and regulations for sports are also drafted in such a way that they provide maximum security to the players involved, sometimes even from each other.
In order to ensure that the laws, rules and regulations of the games are being followed in the right spirit of the game, neutral umpires and referees have been brought into the game. Not only do they officiate at the game according to the already laid down and agreed upon rules, they also ensure that fairness prevails. When in the ring, the referee might check the length of finger nails or any other thing that can injure the opponent ahead of a boxing, wrestling or even judo or karate match. Another protective gear, especially in contact sports is the mouth guard that ensures that a fighter whether winning or losing may preserve his smile for the post match press shoot.
The umpires and referees are also given special powers that they can reinforce in special circumstances. They can make a mischievous player sit out the game as a penalty, too, especially in team games for various lengths of time by using red, yellow and green cards which represent the extent of a penalty. The penalised team usually has to play the penalty time with one man short. Points may be deducted from the team or player doing damage to the opposition or on the contrary they may be awarded to the team or player at the receiving end.
Be it the penalty stroke, penalty corner, free kick or making a player sit out of the game, these instances sometimes become game-changing and even career-defining moments. This brings to mind Zinedine Zidane’s head butt. The role of referees is fundamental as other than supervising the game they have to remain alert to identify any illegal, unethical act from the players that may divert the game from a match to a free-for-all.
Playing area and conditions
Sometimes umpires and referees also need to decide whether the playing conditions are fit enough for the players to play a game. They are provided with the authority to delay, halt, postpone or even call off the game if they find the playing conditions dangerous for the player’s well being.
Be it a slippery track, a soaked outfield or awkward pitches in games, the umpires, referees or officials can exercise their power to punctuate the game and restart whenever they deem the playing conditions to be satisfactory for playing. Games such as football and field hockey generally continue to kick on regardless of the weather. Slippery fields and freezing and gasping for air players with their heart warming signature moves makes the environment and the game even more astounding for the spectators.
Many cyclists, bikers and super bikers have lost their lives on skidding tracks. The skidding track makes motorcycle and car racing simultaneously adventurous and dangerous, sometimes even with the lives of the racers at the stake. In different racing competitions, cyclists even lost their lives to incoming vehicles after they accidentally diverted from the original track marked out for a race.
Doctors on board
Generally, the sports team and individuals at least have one personnel from the health profession within their contingent. The presence of doctors, paramedics, team physicians or team trainers help players during their preparation, training protocol, food and nutritional requirement and intake. They are also there to deal with their day-to-day illnesses while on tour. They are especially of focal importance when it comes to unwanted medical, sports or trauma emergencies sustained by the players during team practice or even during the actual game. The health professional associated with the team may be able to provide first aid on the ground while the player is being shifted to the hospital for complete diagnosis/checkup in order to rule out any major injury.
Safety first may not seem as applicable to a few games such as wind surfing or extreme sports that are linked to adrenaline pumping, dangerous situations to make them more competitive and interesting. In the case of mountain climbing where the hikers and mountaineers brave ice storms, frostbite, climate, weather, air pressure and other natural hazards regardless of all the protective measures that they have to carry to unbelievable altitudes or even sky diving and scuba diving where new depths are explored, the safety of the individual, still, is of key importance.
The writer is a healthcare leader working with a pharmaceutical company.
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