Tanuja Lele is the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Cricket Hong Kong, overseeing physical preparation for both the Men’s and Women’s national teams. A former competitive cricketer with the Mumbai Cricket Association, she has worked across elite setups including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League. She is a graduate of the MSc in Advanced Athletic Performance Coaching with Setanta College.
Below, Tanuja discusses the career counsellor who set her on this path, her role in international cricket, and what studying with Setanta added to her coaching.
Where the Passion Began
Tanuja’s route into sport science started at home, and crystallised in a careers office.
“My passion for sports stems from my mother, who loved sports and continuously introduced me to various games throughout my childhood, which really got me thinking about a future in the athletic world. Playing cricket competitively for the Mumbai Cricket Association gave me firsthand experience as an athlete, and interacting closely with our team coaches, physiotherapists and S&C coaches showed me the vital ecosystem required behind the scenes to optimise performance and keep players fit.
The major turning point came when my mother and I visited a school career counsellor. After an aptitude test, the counsellor pointed out that I had a unique combination of strengths in both sports and science. She was the first person to introduce us to the concept of sports science as a legitimate academic and professional career path. That single recommendation ignited my curiosity and set me on a dedicated path to pursue strength and conditioning as my lifelong career.”
Leading S&C for Two National Teams
Tanuja’s current role spans both of Cricket Hong Kong’s international squads.
“I was recently appointed as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Cricket Hong Kong, China, where I oversee the physical preparation and performance framework for both the Men’s and Women’s national teams. My core responsibilities centre on designing evidence-based strength, power and conditioning protocols aligned with the demands of international competition, while managing workload to optimise athlete availability and performance.
Operating across a dual-squad structure, a typical week requires seamless integration between field and gym. On pitch days, I lead pre-session activation, run speed and agility work, and monitor athlete workloads in real time. In the gym, I direct sport-specific resistance training targeting rotational power, eccentric strength and multi-planar stability.
Beyond practical coaching, a substantial part of my week involves data analysis, collaboration with medical and technical staff to calibrate individual training loads, and structuring return-to-play pathways. On match days, the priority shifts to competition readiness, managing high-performance warm-ups and post-match recovery.”
From Hospital Floor to International Cricket
Tanuja’s journey began in rehabilitation before moving into elite sport.
“My coaching journey began at the sports medicine centre at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where I had the unique opportunity to work with diverse populations, ranging from Olympians and Bollywood stars to everyday fitness enthusiasts recovering from injury. This gave me a foundational understanding of human movement and rehabilitation before I transitioned fully into elite cricket.
It has since been an incredible evolution across domestic and international high-performance environments. Over the years, I have served as a Strength and Conditioning Coach across elite setups, including domestic camps with the BCCI and the UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League. Today, directing the S&C programmes for both national teams at Cricket Hong Kong, China represents a defining chapter in my career.
Key highlights include preparing world-class athletes alongside international coaches in franchise cricket, and steering performance logistics across global tours. Ultimately, contributing to an athlete’s successful return-to-play journey after a major injury layoff, and watching them perform at their peak on the international stage, remains the most rewarding aspect of my work.”
Why Setanta
A session the BCCI hosted was the moment the MSc made sense for Tanuja.
“I was looking for an advanced academic pathway that could bridge high-level scientific theory with practical application in elite sport. The turning point came when the BCCI invited Setanta College for an educational session. Experiencing their applied approach firsthand made it clear that Setanta offered the exact depth and practical framework I needed to elevate my coaching methodology.
At that stage in my career, working across domestic and franchise setups like the WPL, I wanted to refine my strategic understanding of long-term athlete development, periodisation and data-informed workload management. Setanta’s MSc in Performance Coaching provided the ideal environment to challenge my thinking, learn alongside international practitioners, and add a crucial layer of academic rigour to my existing qualification base.”
Learning from Practitioners
“What I enjoyed most about studying with Setanta College was the way the faculty constantly challenged our thinking around fundamental sports science concepts. Learning directly from professors who had extensive, first-hand experience in the high-performance fields they taught added incredible credibility and real-world context to every lecture. The interactive discussions across various subjects, combined with the deeply practical hands-on modules, made the learning experience both engaging and immediately applicable to elite sport.”
Advice for Others
“My advice for anyone building a career in strength and conditioning is to combine continuous learning with strong interpersonal skills. Science provides the foundation, but communication, trust and connection drive athlete buy-in and performance.
Stay curious and invest deeply in your foundational knowledge. Seek diverse hands-on experience early, because exposure to different sports and environments sharpens your adaptability as high-performance sport evolves.
Finally, remain patient and persistent. A sustainable career in elite sport takes resilience and consistency. Focus on adding value, building genuine professional relationships, and letting your work ethic speak for itself.”
Looking Ahead
“Looking ahead, my goal is to continue working within elite high-performance setups, pushing the boundaries of athletic preparation and performance optimisation. My immediate focus remains on elevating the physical development and workload frameworks for Cricket Hong Kong, China, helping both our Men’s and Women’s national teams perform consistently at the international level.
In the long run, I am deeply passionate about transitioning into education and mentorship. Having navigated my own journey from competitive athlete to international coach, I want to teach the subject, mentor emerging practitioners, and actively contribute to building well-rounded, evidence-based strength and conditioning coaches for the future.”
Learn more about the MSc in Advanced Athletic Performance Coaching.
