IOA ropes in start-up for mental well-being of Olympic-bound athletes

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday announced partnership with Dhyana, the meditation-tracking start up, to work for the mental well-being of the country's Olympic-bound athletes.

The IOA said it has acquired smart Dhyana rings and Dhyana's health management services for the entire Indian contingent for the Tokyo Olympics and is working to prioritise mental wellness and improve focus of the players amidst the ongoing pandemic.

"Dhyana rings will help players, coaches and staff prepare to tackle the pressures of the games and improve overall mental well-being through quantified meditation," the IOA said in a release.

"This will be the first time any country has adopted a meditation partner for the Olympic Games."

Developed by national badminton chief coach Pullela Gopichand and biomedical technology entrepreneur Bhairav Shankar, the smart Dhyana ring is capable of measuring the amount of time one is actually focussing while in a meditation session, the release said.

"IOA is proud to team up with Dhyana to provide state-of-the-art medical-grade technology to the Indian contingent headed to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," said IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta.