The Serbian Basketball Federation delivered heart-wrenching news on Monday, revealing that their forward player, Borisa Simanic, lost one of his kidneys due to an injury he sustained during a World Cup game against South Sudan. The injury, which transpired last Wednesday, necessitated Simanic to undergo two surgeries in Manila.
The severity of the injury became evident after the first surgery, leading to further complications.
“The second procedure became inevitable, which unfortunately required the removal of the kidney,” commented team doctor Dragan Radovanovic.
The incident that led to this grave situation occurred with less than 2 minutes remaining in Serbia’s victory over South Sudan. As South Sudan’s Nuni Omot tried to score, he inadvertently elbowed Simanic, causing the latter excruciating pain and subsequently bringing him to his knees.
While the impact was visually distressing, Omot was quick to assert that his actions were not intentional. Addressing the situation on Monday, Omot conveyed his condolences through South Sudan’s basketball federation, labeling the event as “unintentional and unfortunate.”
Expressing his deep remorse, Omot stated,
“I am profoundly affected by the news of Simanic’s injuries. I comprehend the gravity of his predicament and am genuinely regretful. I earnestly hope for Simanic’s swift recovery and anticipate his return to the basketball court.”
Nikola Milutinov, another Serbian forward, recounted the team’s emotional upheaval post the incident.
“We spent a sleepless night post that game. We were desperately trying to secure blood for him due to the significant blood loss he experienced,”
Milutinov shared, adding, “I fervently hope such an incident is never repeated with any athlete globally.”
Currently, there is no confirmation on when Simanic will be discharged from the Manila-based hospital where he’s receiving treatment. Amidst this adversity, he contributed three points in roughly 20 minutes from Serbia’s bench during the World Cup’s three games.
