RP doctor heads medical coverage of World caging

When the World Basketball Championship is held next month in five key cities in Japan, it will be a Filipino doctor, not a Japanese or an American, who will be on top of its medical coverage.

Dr. Jose Raul Canlas, one of the finest sports medicine practitioners in the country today, will carry that enormous task. He’s quite sure and confident that he’ll be able to do well, too.

"For a Filipino it’s an achievement. It’s an honor and at the same time, a big responsibility," the successful 46-year-old orthopedic surgeon told The STAR in a recent interview.

For the World Championship set Aug. 19-Sept. 2, Canlas will work hand in hand with the Japanese organizers, and will personally help conduct at least 60 doping tests for the duration of the tournament.

"I was assigned to oversee the medical coverage. And while injuries may be attended to by the doctors of each participating team, the bulk of my responsibilities will be in the doping tests," he said.

"Of course, they will be done under the supervision of FIBA."

Canlas has long represented Asia in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Medical Council, which, among other tasks, conducts studies on sports-related injuries.

"We study ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries. I myself handle over 200 ACL cases a year. I operate in countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, India and even some cases in the US," he said.

Canlas said two-thirds of the ACL cases he handles each year come from the Philippines. So far this year, he has treated around 100 ACL patients, five of which are professional basketball players.

The ACL is one of the most common problems concerning athletes or even ordinary sports buffs. It normally involves torn ligaments around the knee joints and caused by sudden twists or turns.

Canlas is scheduled to fly to Jakarta next week for eight ACL operations on basketball players and a couple others playing soccer and badminton.

Right now, Canlas is also associated with a German company working on computerized ACL reconstruction. He said the program is still in its infancy, and they’re working very hard to develop it.

"I’m honored than I’m one of those being asked to help develop it," said Canlas who, on his own, is trying to work on a new hamstring reconstruction procedure.

"I was in the US recently to demonstrate it. To some it was good but to the others, especially the older ones, they prefer the old method. I’ve introduced it in Sri Lanka and India which are now using it," he said.

Indeed, he’s a very busy man.

But when the call regarding the World Championship came, the soft-spoken surgeon didn’t even think twice for it’s a rare chance to be given a lead role in a tournament as big as this.

"I’ve supervised the medical coverage of an Olympic qualifying tournament in China in 2003, and also helped in the medical coverage of the Athens Olympics," he said.

The coming World Championship is definitely an added feather to his cap. There’s just no way that this well-known Filipino doctor would pass up on it. — Abac Cordero