India, Aug. 4 -- The hockey season is heating up. The Indian men fine-tuned their skills at the FIH Pro League in Europe last month, building up to the World Cup. The Salima Tete-led women won the Nations Cup in New Zealand.

The bigger tests lie ahead, the World Cup in August and the Japan Asian Games in September-October. With just a fortnight separating the two mega events, the team managements are trying to build teams with robust athletes to help them excel at both the competitions without any dip in performance. This is where the role of sports science comes in.

For decades, Indian hockey was celebrated for its breathtaking stickwork, flair, and intuitive genius. But in the relentless ecosystem of modern hockey - defined by 15-minu...