SPARSH Hospital, Bengaluru’s noted super speciality hospital, has launched  Karnataka’s first sports-dedicated medical center, SPORTHO, and awarded  SPORTHO Excellence Awards 2019 to three eminent sports personalities from the city. SPORTHO is an endeavour to create a holistic healthcare system that addresses the needs of sportspeople specifically, across ages and professional levels.

SPORTHO Excellence Awards is part of the same movement, established to bring more attention to various field of sports, the challenges faced by sportspeople and recognise outstanding contribution of sportspeople across sectors.

In the first edition of the award, Mr. Jude Felix, former captain of the Indian Hockey team and Olympian; Mr. Samim Rizvi, Ultra-Endurance Cycling Champion and Mr. Sharath Gayakwad, Paralympic Swimmer were felicitated by Dr. Sharan Patil, eminent philanthropist, orthopaedic surgeon, Chairman and Founder of SPARSH Hospital.

Each awardee was presented with a cheque of Rs 25,000 as a token of recognition from Dr. Patil.

Dr. Sharan Patil, who inaugurated SPORTHO, said on the occasion, “It is critical for us to consider a holistic image of sports healthcare - from the grassroots level. We need to look at a specific, sports-related healthcare system that can address the needs of the sporting fraternity across all levels. SPORTHO is a commitment by SPARSH born out of this desire. As the first sports-dedicated healthcare facility in Karnataka, we bring together the latest technologies, the expertise and the care to help sportspeople - professional, amateurs and in training, to win over injury without compromising their careers.”

The new sports medicine center (SPORTHO) will have a team of specialists consisting of Mr. Padmanaban Sekaran, a specialist physiotherapist and an internationally acclaimed movement therapist along with Dr. Rudra Prasad and Dr. Harish Puranik, anthroscopy surgeons and sports medicine specialists,. The center is located in SPARSH Hospital’s Infantry Road Unit. The facility is equipped with the latest technologies for fitness and treating sports-related injuries.

The SPORTHO Team also includes eminent orthopaedic surgeons, sports psychologists, strength and conditioning experts, physiotherapists, nutritionists and cardiologists who are committed to working in tandem for speedier sports injury recovery and fitness of the sportspersons