Gorkha Footballer Mahesh Thapa dies after on-field collision

JALPAIGURI/KOLKATA: As Mahesh Thapa was rushing to play in a local football tournament on Sunday afternoon in Jalpaiguri, his father Chandra Bahadur coaxed him to have lunch with the rest of the family, as is the custom for the Thapa family at their Racecourse Para residence. "Forget about football and stay at home today," senior Thapa, a retired policeman, had told his son. But Mahesh snatched a piece of meat from his father's plate, asked his parent to keep his share of mutton ready for dinner and went out with his football kit.

The 25-year-old became the latest victim of an on-field collision, this time in a local, unauthorised tournament featuring barefooted players. The incident once again brought to the fore the absence of medical facility that should be in place at any level of sport. It was a 'khep' tournament, as it is called in these parts, organized by local clubs in which players are lured from other clubs or localities with an 'appearance' money.

Mahesh, who represented Jalpaiguri in junior and sub-junior inter-district competitions, was very much in demand in such tournaments. According to eyewitnesses, Mahesh, who was playing as striker for Chhayachhobi Club, fell unconscious following a collision with Parasmoni Club goalkeeper Sachin Rai in the match under lights at Torolpara, about two kilometres from his home.

He was rushed to the district hospital, where he couldn't be admitted as no ICU bed was available. As he was driven to a private nursing home, he breathed his last. The post-mortem, which was carried out on Monday, revealed that Mahesh died of cardiac arrest. "His condition was very critical but he was alive when he was being taken to the district hospital," said a Jalpaiguri District Sports Association official. Chandra Bahadur, however, refused to blame anybody for the loss of the second of his three sons. "This is an accident. It's my destiny... what else can I say now," he murmured, struggling to hold back tears.

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