Delhi hockey player dies during game

58-year-old Pradeep Kumar Sharma suffered heart attack

Pradeep Kumar Sharma, 58, an employee of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in New Delhi, passed away after a cardiac arrest during a hockey match against the North Zone FCI team at the ongoing All India Inter Zonal FCI Tournament, at the PCMC Polygrass stadium on Saturday.

Sharma, playing forward for the team, slumped on the field during the 27th minute of the game. The game was immediately stalled and the medics rushed to the spot to revive him, but had to soon take him off the field.

“Sharma was running forward when he suddenly slowed down and subsequently fell down,” said Shridhar Thamba who was refereeing the match, adding, “The game was immediately stopped and when even during the half-time the medics couldn’t revive him he was immediately taken to the Yashwantrao Chavan Hospital where he was declared dead.”

Sharma worked at the FCI head quarters in New Delhi as a finance manager. He is survived by his wife and two children. The body was flown to Delhi on Saturday evening for the final rites.

It was the third day of the tournament and the FCI HQ team was leading 1-0 against North Zone when Sharma fell.

Sunil Waghmare, one of the players for the West Zone, said, “We got to hear about his death in the afternoon itself. While he got the first heart attack on the field itself, the second came when they were taking him to hospital. Sharma was playing right till he collapsed.”

The Zonal Sports Promotion Committee (ZSPC) of Pune immediately declared that the tournament stands canceled.

This was the 40th instalment of the All India Inter Zonal FCI Tournament, said a press release