In a tragic incident, an Indian football player R Dhanarajan died while playing a match in Perinthalmanna, Kerala after collapsing during a match. The 39-year-old player, identified as Radhakrishnan Dhanarajan, suffered a cardiac arrest. The man played as a defender and also represented Kolkata heavyweights Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
Dhanarajan was playing in an All India Sevens tournament at Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district of Kerala against Sastha Medicals Thrissur, where he suddenly collapsed on the ground after suffering a loss of breath and chest pain.
The incident took place at Perinthalmanna Nehru Stadium at 9 pm, according to reports. As the first half of the football match came towards an end, Dhanrajan had requested the referee to stop the game for a few minutes, said the organisers.
Dhanrajan had complained of chest pain and then collapsed on the ground in the 27th minute of the match, raising his left hand before collapsing.
A medical team, which was on standby, rushed him to the nearest hospital. However, he died within a few minutes after reaching the hospital, said Abdul Azeez, one of the organisers.
Dhanrajan had played for Sevens tournament and had earlier played for Kerala in the Santosh Trophy tournament. Besides playing for big-name clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Viva Kerala, and Chirag United, Dhanrajan had been captain for the Mohammedans Football Club in the Federation Cup held at Manjeri in 2014.
The player was also known as Dhana. The defender began his career playing football in division clubs and later on, he was picked up by Mohan Bagan Football Club in 2010. The defender appeared ten times in the I-League division matches while being captain for the Mohammedan FC.
