Uttarakhanda tennis player Dhruv Pal was forced to retire during his second round under-16 match against Karnataka qualifier Vasisht Cheruku late Tuesday evening.
Seventh seed Pal collapsed on court during the third set of the sixth Ramesh Desai Memorial National tennis championship at the Cricket Club of India’s (CCI) tennis courts.
Dhruv Pal in his room at the MSLTA yesterday. Pic/Sundari Iyer
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Pal was provided extensive medical treatment, which delayed the proceedings by 10 minutes. Dhruv returned for one more point before forfeiting the match 7-6 (1), 3-6, 5-1. The 15-year-old was then rushed to the nearby Bombay Hospital after he complained of chest pain.
Dhruv was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for almost seven hours, said his mother Pratibha Pal. As parents and co-players crowded his room to wish him a speedy recovery, Dhruv wanted to be left alone.
Couldn’t breathe
“I have never experienced anything like this. I couldn’t breathe at all. I suffered a blackout and collapsed. Right now, all I want is to be left alone. From the time I woke up in the evening, I have had many visitors,” said the Class X student of Doon International School in Dehradun.
Pratibha told MiD DAY: “The pain started during the first set, when Dhruv was leading 5-4. But he carried on. He was unable to cope with the humidity.”
“Initially I thought it was a cramp, but when he was wheeled to the ICU, I was really nervous. I felt relieved when the doctors told me there is nothing to worry. They have advised complete rest and we shifted him to the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) this morning,” Pratibha said.
“I was shocked. It was scary, as this could have happened to my son as well. It was quite a surprise,” said a parent of another participant in the tournament.u00a0
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