CWG 2022: Weightlifter Sanket Mahadev Sargar undergoes elbow surgery, to be out of action for more than 6 months

India’s Commonwealth Games silver medalist Sanket Mahadev Sargar has undergone surgery on his injured right elbow in London on Saturday. Since there will be an extensive rehabilitation process, Sargar will be out of action for more than six months.

“The surgery was conducted last Saturday in London. But Sanket will return to India after two weeks as he is under observation and for follow-up treatment,” an Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official familiar with the development told Sportskeeda over the phone from Birmingham.

According to the IOA official, London-based elbow injury specialist Ali Noorani conducted the surgery.

“There will be a follow-up visit to the doctor on August 11 and 18. Thereafter, Sanket will take a flight to India,” the IOA official added.

Sanket injured his right elbow in a clean and jerk event during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“The promising weightlifter from Sangli in Maharashtra seriously damaged his elbow ligaments in the right arm during the unsuccessful lift,” the IOA official added.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) in a statement said the government has sanctioned Rs. 30 lakh for the surgery.

“The Indian government decided to bear the cost of the surgery of the young athlete and sanctioned the entire cost of operation,” said SAI, adding that the athlete is stable and recovering in a hospital in England.

Competitive weightlifting is a very technical event and extensive rehabilitation is a must for a comeback, as per Ashok Ahuja, former Head of the Sports Medicine Center at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala.

“I haven’t seen medical report of the injured lifter, but elbow surgery is a complicated issue,” Ahuja told Sportskeeda. “In my opinion it might take at least six to 12 months to return to competition.”

According to Ahuja, rehabilitation has to be done in phases and rushing back to lifting barbells will delay the recovery process.

“The first is the recovery part. Then there is the strengthening of the elbow. The range of movement of the joint is important during rehab. All of this will take more than six months to one year,” Ahuja added.

Read: Commonwealth Games 2022: Weightlifter Sanket Mahadev Sargar wins silver, India's first medal at CWG 2022