Orlando: In a major international recognition for Indian healthcare, the rheumatology team of KIMS Hospitals in Telangana's Secunderabad has retained the 'ACR Knowledge Bowl' Championship at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence 2026 held in Orlando, US.

The 'CAR-Titans' team from the Department of Rheumatology had won the title in 2025, making history as the first Indian team to achieve back-to-back awards.

The team scored 9,700 points, setting the record for the highest score ever recorded in the history of Knowledge Bowl, while the runner-up team scored 4,000 points.

CAR-Titans secured the achievement by competing against 15 leading global medical research and academic institutions, including UCLA, Mayo Clinic, Columbia University, and the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The team members included Dr Syed Mustafa Jah and Dr Venkat Sai Veesam, with Dr Sarath Chandra Mouli Veeravalli as their mentor.

In the image competition, Dr Jah's presentation, titled 'When Synovitis Is Not the Whole Story: Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Pyomyositis', was selected for digital display and Plenary I recognition. Dr Srishti Pal's presentation, "A Rash Decision," was selected for the expert panel discussion in the global competition.

Accepted research posters included studies on 'Enthesitis-predominant Spondyloarthritis and HLA-B27 Association' by Dr Venkat Sai Veesam and studies on 'Diagnostic Delays in Spondyloarthritis' and 'Nintedanib in Progressive SSc-ILD' by Dr Pothireddy Mohith Reddy. The case presentation, '17 Years, 3 Diagnoses, 1 Answer' by Dr Reddy, was selected for poster display.

The team expressed sincere gratitude to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, his secretary Kartikeya Misra, and TDP leader Varla Ramaiah for their assistance in facilitating priority visa processing, as well as the US Embassy and consulate in Hyderabad for issuing visas promptly.

The team also thanked Dr B Bhaskar Rao, chairman and managing director of KIMS Hospitals, alongside leadership from the Indian Rheumatology Association (IRA) and Hyderabad Rheumatology Association (HRA) for their constant support.