Mumbai hand that saved Neeraj Chopra's golden arm

MUMBAI: If Neeraj Chopra has conquered the javelin world today, winning independent India its maiden medal in track and field to create history, one man sitting in Mumbai can claim to have contributed handsomely to this stupendous feat. In the middle of 2019, Chopra had suffered a career-threatening elbow injury, before a timely, critical surgery by famous orthopedic surgeon Dinshaw Pardiwala kept his aspirations for a gold at Tokyo going.

Apart from Chopra, Pardiwala has treated several top India cricketers (for eg pacer Jasprit Bumrah and batsman Shreyas Iyer) and sportspersons in the past, with star shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal and the Phogat sisters being amongst them. "If things didn't go well, it would have been impossible for him to throw again," an understandably emotional, elated Pardiwala told on Saturday.

Chopra had developed spurs in his elbow, which forced him to miss the World Championships in Doha in 2019. "His injury was in his right elbow, which is his throwing elbow. It was a serious injury. I operated on him on May 3, 2019 at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. It was a critical surgery for him, because for an 'throwing athlete,' he was unable to throw. He was in severe pain because of his hurting elbow. His elbow was in a 'locked' position, and stuck. The tissues inside it had broken. Those tissues had to be removed and repaired. It was an intense two-hour surgery. He then underwent a four-month rehab process," recalled Pardiwala, who is the Head of Centre for Sports Medicine, & Director - Arthroscopy & Shoulder Service at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.

It was the Phogat sisters, his close friends, who referred Pardiwala to Chopra. "He told me that he got the 'strength' to come to me from the famous Phogat sisters (India wrestlers Geeta and Babita) whom I've operated upon (for shoulder and knee injuries) in the past. He became confident after they told him that a lot of athletes have undergone surgeries and rehab and got back to playing sport," revealed Pardiwala.

It it wasn't treated in time, the injury may have put Chopra's qualification chances for the Olympics in doubt.