Tragedy struck the BDFA ‘A' division football league on Wednesday afternoon when D. Venkatesh, a 23-year-old footballer with the Bangalore Mars, died after collapsing on the ground.
Substitute
Featuring in the side's encounter with South Western Railway at the Football Stadium, Venkatesh, who came on as a substitute in the final stages of the game, slumped to the turf within minutes of his introduction.
He was stretchered off the pitch before being taken by an autorickshaw to the nearby Hosmat hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
No ambulance
Although an ambulance is on standby at I-League games, there was none present here, eyewitnesses claimed. “He came on with five minutes or so left on the clock but just collapsed soon after,” said A. Lawrence, referee for the match.
“He was treated on the field; I asked for the stretcher to be brought on and he was carried off.”
A distraught R. Dhanraj, Venkatesh's father, said his son was fine when he left home in the morning and maintained that he had no history of serious illness.
Furious crowd
Although the match in question was completed, the Super Division fixture that followed it had to be abandoned midway after an angry crowd, upon hearing the news of the player's demise, hurled chairs and other projectiles onto the ground.
The last time
This is not the first time a footballer has died playing in the city.
On December 5, 2004, Cristiano Sebastião de Lima Júnior, a Brazilian striker for Dempo Sports Club, collapsed soon after scoring the second goal at the 26th Federation Cup Football Tournament at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
The 24-year-old had collided with Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Subrata Paul before collapsing.
