Bhubaneswar: Javelin star Neeraj Chopra, who created history by winning India’s first Olympic track and field gold medal since independence at Tokyo Olympics last week, was treated by an expert in sports surgery and sports medicine here for shoulder pain four years ago.
During the Asian Athletic Championship, which was being held at Kalinga Stadium here in July 2017, he walked into the clinic of Dr. (Major) Sarthak Patnaik, a specialist in orthopaedics and sports medicine, with a friend one evening complaining about pain in his right shoulder.
“I examined the young athlete and found that the pain was mostly muscular and tendinous. We managed the pain conservatively while his friend was treated for a hamstring pull,” Dr. (Major) Patnaik, presently Senior Consultant in the Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine and Surgery Department at SUM Ultimate Medicare here, said.
“I found him to be a very soft-spoken, humble and down to earth sportsman. He was very happy to know that I was a retired army officer,” he said.
Chopra went on to claim the gold in men’s javelin throw at the championship which was held from July 6 to 9, 2017. Chopra won the event with a throw of 85.23 m, a championship record, beating Ahmed Bader Magour of Qatar.
“Today I am very proud that Chopra has proceeded to win a gold medal in the Olympics and I will always cherish the time I spent with him four years ago,” Dr. (Major) Patnaik said adding “I wish him more laurels in future.”
Dr. (Major) Patnaik is an expert in ligament and cartilage reconstruction surgery, shoulder arthroscopy and sports surgery having done a fellowship in the subject from Pennsylvania Sports Medicine Department, USA. He was also trained in Hip Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine from Clinica Mompia, Spain and the Sports Science Institute of South Africa.
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