S’porean physio flying the flag in London

While there aren’t too many Singaporeans plying their trade in the upper echelons of European football, one local lad is currently flying the flag at one of the oldest clubs in England.

Though he is a key presence in his team’s dugout, Suren Vata is not a footballer. Instead, he is the head physiotherapist at Charlton Athletic’s women’s football team, a position he has held since January, after studying and working in England for almost two years.

The 30-year-old’s interest in sports medicine arose after a spate of injuries while playing football in his youth, including fractures on both feet.

“The injuries led to chronic ankle issues that flared up during national service – and it was a physio that got me through that,” he said.

“At that point, I wasn’t very sure what the physio profession was about. But I loved the idea of being part of the recovery process and learning about various treatment methods.”

After earning a degree in physiotherapy from Trinity College Dublin, Suren’s first professional involvement as a sports physio came in March 2021 when he joined the medical staff of S.League club Tampines Rovers. He spent a year and a half at the club before leaving for the University of Birmingham to pursue a master’s degree in exercise and sports medicine.

Later, while converting his Singapore physio license to a UK one, Suren landed a job with a football team of the Pro Direct Academy in Birmingham – a countrywide franchise with football teams in various counties.

“The story about how I got with them was actually crazy,” said Suren. “I was running around the Astro turf where they were training, doing my own bit of exercise, when I noticed one of their players was injured. Unfortunately, they did not have a physio.

“After their training, I introduced myself to the coach and asked if the player needed any help. He told me he had been looking high and low for a physio – and there I was in front of him, offering my services. I started working for them that very week.”

Suren spent a few months with the academy team while finishing his master’s and with an eye on his goal of working as a physio for a club in England – which according to him “is the best place in the world for football”.

After a brief stint at Birmingham FC’s academy, Suren reached out to a contact who worked at Charlton Athletic, a club based in London, and joined the women’s first team as its head physio.

At Charlton, aside from providing pitch-side medical care during training and match days, Suren’s tasks include player assessments and treatments and working closely with management on player rehab.

“Sports physiotherapy encompasses more than just injury treatment,” he said. “It involves injury prevention, performance enhancement and player education. It entails long hours, weekend shifts and high-pressure scenarios.”

Juxtaposing the matchday experiences at Tampines and Charlton, Suren said the long away-game journeys were an eye-opener initially.

“Travel-related fatigue can take a toll on the players. So we have to ensure they stay as fresh as possible prior to the match,” he said. “We often have to stay overnight for away games and some trips take about six hours via coach. 

“We also have relegation-promotion systems in the UK. The emotions are immense when you have that in play as your team’s success may determine if the club undergoes changes in budgets and your job security may be affected. 

“I have seen physios losing their jobs after a club is relegated, but also get pay raises and job promotions when the team performs well.”