sanket sargar: CWG silver medallist Sanket Sargar undergoes elbow surgery, Ministry sanctions Rs 30 lakh for treatment

Weightlifter Sanket Sargar, who had opened India’s medal account at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, on Sunday went under the knife for his elbow injury with the sports ministry sanctioning Rs 30 lakh for the surgery. The 21-year-old had sustained an injury on his right elbow while attempting to lift 139kg in his second clean and jerk attempt on way to his maiden CWG silver in the 55kg category.

“He was given immediate medical attention and doctors in UK advised him a surgery. The Indian government decided to bear the cost of the surgery of the young athlete and today sanctioned the entire cost of operation, amounting to 30 lakhs,” the ministry said in a release.

“The athlete is stable now and recovering in hospital in UK.”

Sanket had managed a total of 248kg (113kg+135kg) to finish just one kilogram behind Malaysia’s Mohamad Aniq, who smashed the Games record in clean and jerk to win the gold.

Olympic silver medalist and CWG gold winner weightlifter Mirabai Chanu thanked the government and the weightlifting federation for the support extended to Sanket.

“I would like to thank Govt. @Media_SAI , TOPS for getting the elbow surgery done for our silver medalist Sanket Sargar in London. He got injured during his competition at CWG. On the request of Weightlifting Federation, govt. immediately released funds and got his surgery done,” Mirabai wrote in a tweet on Sunday.