Dr. Kannan Pugazhendi, graduated from Madras Medical College in the year 1986. He chose a career in Sports Medicine and was fortunate to get very good exposure early in his career. He was assigned to travel with the Indian Cricket Team in 1989 (West Indies series) as the Team Physician. Later, he pursued a Masters in Sports Medicine in New South Wales University, Australia. Dr.Kannan had been the Sports Physician of Altanta Olympics, 1996 and the Physician for the Indian hockey team in the 2002 World Cup.
SPARRC Origins
Dr. Kannan Pugazhendi worked as the Medical officer at the YMCA College of Physical Education for 21 years. He also established Fitness Foundation Academy, a Sports Medicine Centre to cater to the underprivileged Athletic and Sports population.
His compassion towards people and his sagacity in reading the need of the general population lead to creation of the SPARRC Institute in 2006. SPARRC (Sports Performance Assessment, Rehabilitation & Research Counseling) Institute now has branches all over India and is well established as a reputed chain of Sports & Fitness Medicine Centre.
Accomplishments
- He has trained many health care professionals such as medical doctors, physiotherapists, physical education professionals, nutritionists, national and international athletes and sportsmen.
- He has penned numerous articles and series of Q and A columns with Indian Express, The Hindu and few other popular dailies and magazines.
- He coined the term “Fitness Medicine” and created a new specialization that is Fitness Medicine and Lifestyle Diseases Management in 2017.
- He founded the premiere educational institution for Sports Medicine – IISM (Indian Institute of Sports Medicine)
- He is now a visiting Faculty at the premier Business School IIM, Rohtak in the Department of Sports Management
- He continues to serve the underprivileged by offering his consultations free of charge to those from the economically weaker sections of the society.
- He created a platform for Paediatric Sports Medicine that resulted in an ongoing project called FAMES – Fitness Adaptation and Movement Education Services – a service for the Specially Abled children, which continues to make a difference in the lives of the specially abled children.
- He has revamped and redesigned the out-door training manual for the Tamil Nadu Police (originally created in 1968) including latest training techniques bringing it up to world-class standards.
- He assisted the Officers Training Academy in 2002-03 in identifying the cause for the Pelvic bone Stress Fracture of the women cadets; the suggestion of the shoes that could reduce the impact of the OC s was given by him, which was implemented the same year.
- He created a Fitness Program for the personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force, Hyderabad.
- As a consultant at Kalakshetra, he helped create an innovative and unique Dance medicine curriculum for the students/dancers who were training to graduate as future Classical Dance instructors.
- He is the official Sports Physician for the Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi Marathons.
- He has extended continual support to Cancer Institute, Chennai in all their Awareness programs and events providing the necessary resource material with regards to the Importance of Exercise and Fitness in preventing Cancer. He conducted a Chennai city wide Marathon – Race Against Cancer in 2014 and the Youth Health Mela alongside Cancer Institute to spread awareness amongst youth.
- He was an elected Board member – Chief Minister’s Project SDAT for Preparation of Indian Athletes for Olympics 2016.
- He is a recipient of various Awards of Excellence for his contributions to the society, in keeping people Healthy and Pain free through Non Invasive and Conservative Medical approaches in the field of Sports Medicine.
- He had successfully designed a weight loss reality show (Ollibelly) in one of the South Indian private television channel (Star Vijay). Over 50 contestants participated and lost a combined weight of 1,000 kgs in less than 3 months.
- Sports Physician for almost all the International Sports Teams of the country including Hockey, Cricket, Football, Squash, Rugby, Traithlon, Volleyball (Women), Sailing, Softball (girls)and Korfball.
- He was the ringside Physician and Consultant for:
- Tamilnadu Boxing Association
- Tamilnadu Judo Association
- Tamilnadu Basketball Association
- Tamilnadu Amateur Athletic Association
- Asian Squash Championship
- Special Olympics – National Level
- South Asian Federation (SAF) games – He trained the entire Primary Care teams which consisted of Physicians, Surgeons and Nurses, to handle injuries both on field and off field.