Deepak okay, out of ICU

Indian forward Deepak Thakur was rushed to the hospital yesterday after the India-New Zealand match, complaining of breathlessness and a pos...

Indian forward Deepak Thakur was rushed to the hospital yesterday after the India-New Zealand match, complaining of breathlessness and a possible heart condition. The Una-based star, one of the fittest in the team, was so ‘‘agitated by the awarding of a penalty corner’’ to New Zealand in the final minute, said a team source, that he protested, and skipped heartbeats.

Thakur was taken to a hospital outside the Games Village and immediately moved to the ICU. ‘‘The doctors had to revive him,’’ said an IHF official.

When contacted, assistant coach Jagbir Singh denied anything serious. ‘‘Deepak complained of breathlessness and the doctors conducted routine heart investigations. He is better now.’’

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When contacted in Una (Himachal Pradesh), Thakur’s father Nardev Singh said, ‘‘We spoke to Deepak Saturday night. He seemed to be exhausted but fine. He told me ‘I am fine, papa, please don’t worry’.’’

Nardev added: ‘‘Before leaving for Athens, Deepak had promised to us that he would come back with a medal. When India lost yesterday, he could not control his emotions and fell sick. Even today, he was trying to convince us that he will play against Argentina tomorrow. He has taken the defeat to heart.’’

— (Ashok Malik & Ateet Sharma)