DAVV physical education student dies a day after collapsing at cross-country trials

A 19-year-old second semester student of the Bachelor of Physical Education at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), who had collapsed during cross-country trials on Monday, died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Indore on Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Tekchannd Kohli, a resident of Rau village, about 16 kilometres from Indore district headquarters.

Kohli, a second semester student at the department of physical education of University Teaching Department, collapsed on Monday evening during the cross-country team trials for an inter-collegiate competition.

He was immediately rushed to the nearby Medisquare Hospital, where doctors put him on ventilator. However, Kohli was declared dead at 11.40 am on Tuesday, university acting vice-chancellor Prof Ashutosh Mishra said.

Though a post mortem is yet to be conducted, hospital sources said the likely cause of death was internal bleeding due to excessively strenuous physical exertion. Hospital director Dr Vijay Arora said it could be a case of disseminated intravascular coagulation.

"The patient was brought to the hospital at 5:30 pm on Monday in (poor) condition with no pulse and dropping blood pressure. Doctors at the hospital reviewed him and immediately admitted him to the intensive care unit (ICU) and started his treatment. But, his condition deteriorated further and he died at around 11 am on Tuesday," Dr Arora said.

Prof SK Yadav of the physical education department and the selector of the cross-country team said as soon as he fell to the ground, fellow students who were also participating in the trials helped the authorities take him to the hospital at Bhanwarkua square, around 500 metres away.

Regarding Kohli's fitness, Yadav said he was physically fit and a good athlete. Earlier, on August 19, the university had shortlisted 12 students, including Kohli, who had placed second in the five-kilometre run. On Monday, Kohli once again came in second before he collapsed.

The Bhanwarkua police have registered a case in the matter and begun investigation.