South Sudan’s Nuni Omot issued an apology after hearing the unfortunate news of Serbian forward Bosira Simanic losing his kidney.
This started on Aug 30, when Simanic sustained an injury in the midst of a heated match between Serbia and South Sudan in the Araneta Coliseum, Philippines. Simanic was guarding Omot during that time, and there were only two minutes left in the game. Omot, who spun around to create a space and perform a lay-up, elbowed Simanic in the midsection. Immediately grabbing his side, Simanic winced in pain and went down on the court. He then immediately subbed out of the game, only to never return to action. Still, Serbia’s team won over South Sudan with a 115-83 victory.
On the off-court scene, Simanic, who was still in pain, was rushed to the Makati Medical Center and had his emergency operation that night. But over the weekend, complications arose, and his coach, Svetislav Pesic, said that they even had trouble finding his blood type. In a spirit of brotherhood, a few of his teammates gave their blood to Simanic.
“It was a huge shock for all of us,” Pesic said, per Basket News. “We could not have expected that such a blow could be not only painful but tragic. It’s good that it’s over.
“The team was together all night, they were searching for extra blood because it was not possible to collect enough since Borisa was bleeding a lot. It ended well.”
On Sep 3, Simanic was operated on again, and this time they had to remove his kidney.
The following day after his second surgery, the Serbian Basketball Federation (KSS) and Dr. Radovanović issued the following statement:
“After Simanic was operated on for the first time on the night between August 30 and 31, doctors monitored the postoperative recovery and decided that, due to complications, a new operation was necessary,” – Serbian Basketball Federation (KSS)
“Due to complications on the injured kidney that occurred in the postoperative course, Boriša Simanić was operated on again on September 3. Due to changes in the vitality of the kidney tissue, the entire kidney had to be surgically removed. We expect and wish that after this operation, the postoperative course will go smoothly.” – Dr. Radovanović
One of Simanic’s teammates, Nikola Milutinov, also spoke to the reporters regarding the incident:
“It was really tough for us when we heard what happened. “First, we didn’t believe it was such a bad thing. It’s really affected us. We’re really praying for him that he’s going to be good as soon as possible.”, Milutinov said.
Nuni Omot also apologized for the unfortunate incident through a statement released by the South Sudan Basketball Federation on Sep 5:
“I am deeply saddened by the news of Mr. Simanic’s injuries. As a sportsman, I firsthand understand the severity of his situation, and I am deeply sorry that this happened. No player should have to go through that. I pray for Simanic’s recovery and speedy return to the court,” said Omot.
In addition to this, the federation also laid out in the statement that Omot has been receiving racism and harassment after the news of Simanic losing his kidney broke out and that they condemn these actions towards their player. At the conclusion of their statement, they extended their prayers and best wishes to Simanic.
“Finally, we extend prayers and best wishes to Borisa Simanic.”
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