National level hockey player from UP dies mysteriously

Bareilly: Vinod Singh Rawat, a state-level hockey player died under mysterious conditions during practice.

The 22-year-old lost his life while practicing at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium here on Thursday morning.

According to the eye-witnesses present at the ground, Rawat complained of chest pain as soon as he started running on the track. He was admitted to the nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead immediately.

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A resident of Badthol, Vinod played in under-14, 16 and 19 tournaments, representing Bihar.

The body has been sent for postmortem. Rawat’s elder brother Dilip said, “Six month ago, our father Raghuveer Singh Rawat died of cancer. He had retired from the Indian Army as constable in 2010. My mother Govindi Devi is a heart patient. On Thursday morning around 5.30 am, my brother left for Major Dhyan Chand Stadium for hockey practice.

He further stated "Around 6.30 am, he fell unconscious and was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital. We are devastated by this development. My other younger brother, Balwant Singh, fainted after hearing the news and he is still in hospital.”

Rawat had joined SAI in 2008 and was the best player in our team. He was a student of PNB National Sports Academy in New Delhi.