12 CW medallists treated in Mumbai for sports injuries

MUMBAI: Twelve of the 66 Indian winners at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2018 share more than medals: Each has a history of sports injuries that were treated at a city hospital.
“Eight gold medallists from this contingent have either undergone surgery or injections at our centre in the past five years,” said the Andheri-based Kokilaben Ambani Hospital’s Dr Ram Narian.
Gone are the days when athletes had to be flown to the West to fix a painful ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) or recover from a hamstring pull.

Just as sports avenues have increased over the past few years, there has been a corresponding rise in the practice of sports medicine. “It is true that sports medicine has improved over the past few years,” said Dr Anant Joshi, one of the senior-most orthopedic surgeons, also known for his long association with willow master Sachin Tendulkar.
The world is flat and there isn’t much discrepancy in what is done in India and abroad. “Today Indian sportspersons prefer to get treated locally. From the top of my head, I can think of at seven world-class centres here for sports medicine,” said Dr Dinshaw Pardiwalla from Kokilaben Hospital who has treated the 12 medallists.
Rahul Aware, the local boy from Beed at the Commonwealth Games, is clearly ecstatic at having struck gold in wrestling despite having a shoulder problem. “I have undergone two surgeries at the Andheri hospital in the past six years,” he said, adding that it’s his doctor's feat that he could make it to the Games. He credits his win to his orthopedic surgeon. “A few months back, I needed help with my shoulder. Dr Pardiwalla not only fixed me and counselled me, he told me that I would be fine a week before the games, and I was,” said Aware who was felicitated in Pune on his return from Australia earlier last week.
After Rio Olympics, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal and wrestler Vinesh Phoghat, the youngest of the Phogat sisters, visited this Andheri hospital for knee surgeries. Previously, Dr Pardiwalla had operated on wrestler Sakshi Malik and discus thrower Seema Punia. “Those in contact sports such as wrestling or boxing are prone to injuries, especially of the shoulder or knees,” said Dr Pardiwalla.
Dr Joshi, who set up a sports medicine centre called Sportsmed five years ago, though, said, “There are two aspects to sports medicine. While we are doing well with one of the aspects—medical care and treatment after injuries in terms of surgeries or rehabilitation—the other part that concerns training medically for the game isn’t happening too well.” Most athletes as apparent from the Commonwealth Games’ list hail from lower- to middle- class families. “The government would do well to help them in terms of infrastructure and support.”