3 yrs and counting,SIC a boon for players

“Back in our time,injuries ended careers. That’s not the case anymore. The country has progressed,but players still prefer going to Australia or England to get themselves treated. Their mindset needs to change,” Bedi said.

Several Indian sportsmen such as wrestler Sushil Kumar,former badminton champion Dinesh Khanna and former cricketer Madan Lal were present at the function,during which the centre acquired a new sports medicine lab and state-of-the-art training equipment for its budding surgeons.

A one-of-a-kind centre,the SIC has not only become the go-to place in the country for sports injuries in the last three years,but has also acquired a reputation for providing affordable treatment.

“About 5,000 patients visit the centre daily. It includes not just players,but members of paramilitary forces and civilians. In the future,we aim to shift the focus away from treatment of injuries to prevention,” SIC director Dr Deepak Chaudhary said.

While poor patients are treated free of cost,others only have to pay for the cost of implants. That reduces total cost to about one-third,as compared to cost of surgeries done in private hospitals.

“For a layman,an injury is an inconvenience. For a sportsperson,it may mean the end of the road. I think the hospital is a boon especially for talented players who cannot afford treatment abroad,” Dinesh Khanna said.