Abstract
Indian Journal of Modern Research and Reviews, 2026; 4(6): 183-188
Prevalence, Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies of Injuries Among Amateur Athletes in India
Author Name: Dr. Sangeeta
Abstract
<p><strong>Background:</strong> Amateur sports participation has grown substantially across India over the past two decades, coinciding with a rise in sports-related injuries. Unlike professional athletes, amateur players frequently lack access to qualified coaching, appropriate protective equipment, and sports medicine facilities, placing them at disproportionate risk.</p>
<p><strong>Objectives:</strong> This systematic review synthesises evidence from five peer-reviewed Indian studies to examine the prevalence, anatomical distribution, risk factors, and prevention strategies of injuries among amateur athletes in India.</p>
<p><strong>Methods:</strong> A structured search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Studies published from 2016 to 2025, focusing on sports injuries in Indian amateur, recreational or student athletes, were included.</p>
<p><strong>Results:</strong> Sports injury prevalence among Indian amateurs ranged from 18.4% to 73.4%, with lower limb injuries accounting for 57%–61% of all injuries. Key risk factors included inadequate warm-up, poor technique, absence of formal training, previous injury, age, gender and sport type. Contact sports such as football, kabaddi and wrestling demonstrated the highest injury rates.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Comprehensive, population-specific injury prevention programs, structured warm-up protocols, improved sports medicine infrastructure and regionalised surveillance systems are urgently needed to protect amateur athletes across India.</p>
Keywords
sports injuries, amateur athletes, India, prevalence, risk factors, injury prevention, musculoskeletal injuries.
