Wrestler Amol Barate & Archer Jignas C H Underwent Surgeries, Rehab Before Gaining Peak Fitness

Till a few months ago, wrestler Amol Barate and archer Naik Subedar Jignas C H were unsure about their participation in top-level competitions. Amol was down with a nasty injury to his right shoulder during a wrestling match leading to a recurrent shoulder dislocation, while Jignas was unable to draw his bowstring and had severe pain in the right shoulder, brought on by a bad fall.

Both underwent shoulder treatment and an intensive rehabilitation programme in Pune. Amol achieved peak fitness and became the second Puneite to grab the 'Hind Kesari' wrestling title a few weeks ago. Jignas bagged three bronze medals in the individual, mixed team and junior boys' team championship at the recent world youth archery championship.

Jignas C H

"There is an impression that after surgery, restoration of the shoulder is less than normal. But, if placed in the right hands and complemented with rehabilitation, athletes can get back their original fitness levels and go on to win. Barate and Jignas are dedicated athletes who have pushed the envelope and through sheer hard work achieved the highest level of fitness," said consultant shoulder and joint replacement surgeon Ashish Babhulkar, who treated both.

Before Barate was crowned Hind Kesari in October,he had to keep away from wrestling due to a severe shoulder injury during a practise match in 2008. "It was a bad patch and it took me a year to recover from the injury and another year to get back to wrestling. I was restless in this period. But, I was confident that I will overcome the injury," said Barate.

Amol Barate

A doctor friend recommended Babhulkar who decided to operate on his shoulder. "Amol was unable to participate in competitive events.He had badly injured his dominant right shoulder during a wrestling match leading to recurrent shoulder dislocation. As he runs a training 'akhada', he is aware that shoulder injuries are common amongst wrestlers," Babhulkar said.

Amol approached Babhulkar in 2009 who performed arthroscopic Bankart repair to fix the problem. "After a topclass rehab he achieved peak fitness," Babhulkar said.

Post surgery, he followed the rehabilitation programme and steadily gained strength which enabled him to participate in tournaments leading to the most coveted Hind Kesari title.

Jignas, at a tournament in April in Jamshedpur, fell on his elbow while attempting a long jump. Many colleagues ruled out his future as an archer.

He had won several international medals, including a team silver in the world championships in 2011, followed by a silver medal in the Asian Grand Prix,in 2012 and 2013.He trained at the city-based Army Sports Institute and is a potential medal hopeful for India at Incheon Asian Games in 2014.

The fall damaged his forearm and his shoulder became stiff. So much so, that while arching the bow, he could not fully extend his arm. Lt Col Anup Krishnan, sports medicine specialist at the ASI, sent him to Babhulkar.

"I had to miss close to five national and international tournaments during this period. I was completely disheartened and low on confidence. I wondered if I would ever get back on the international circuit and earn the same reputation as I had done earlier," said Jignas.

Jignas met Babhulkar six months ago with an inability to draw his bowstring and severe right shoulder pain and weakness. "We told him he would have to give up his competitive game for now and start a training schedule with our shoulder physio unit in Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital," said Babhulkar.

He was put on the Pune shoulder rehab programme and he attended a half-hour training session every day for two weeks. "We followed this with a four-week home programme. At the end of six weeks, he came back for an exclusive third-phase programme. Within a month, he was back to his training and soon he won three gold medals at the Asian Grand Prix archery championship in Bangkok," said Babhulkar, who treats army sportsmen for free.

Jignas underwent surgery in April and from July, the ASI coaches started his rehabilitation for three months. Krishnan asked Jignas to participate in the trials for the senior World Championship scheduled in Aurangabad in August.

"I was recovering well but the confidence was still low. But I went for the trials on my coach's insistence. I performed badly, but it showed how much I had recovered and where I was lacking. I also built the temperament for a competition that had gone because of the injury," Jignas said.

At the trials, his wrist, elbow and shoulder were still weak. Krishnan and the psychologist worked to build Jignas to face international competitions. In two months,Jignas won a gold medal in the Junior World Championship in China in October.

"It was challenging to bring him back into the circuit. The surgery helped and rehabilitation brought back his chances of competing in international events," said Krishnan.