A 13-year-old student, Ruisha Kharsel, died after being struck on the head by a hockey ball during a training session at St Anthony High School in Goa on Thursday. She was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
The incident occurred during a regular hockey training session at St Anthony High School, where multiple students were participating. Ruisha Kharsel collapsed after being hit on the head by a hockey ball during practice, one day before the start of summer holidays when students were preparing for competitions.
According to the school administration, all activities were proceeding as part of a routine practice session at the time of the incident. Principal Father Milchester Furtado stated that the session was being conducted normally before the sudden incident.
Ruisha Kharsel had taken up hockey two years ago, inspired by her elder brother Suraj, who is a state-level hockey player and recently captained the Goa team at the Sub-Junior National Championship held in Bihar.
Suraj stated that he was not present at the time of the incident and was informed about it later. The family is attempting to understand the circumstances of the incident.
Ruisha was taken to the hospital immediately after the incident, but doctors declared her dead upon arrival. Due to a delay in ambulance availability, she was transported to the hospital in a private vehicle.
Police have registered a case of unnatural death and initiated an investigation. Officials stated that the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the postmortem report is received. The incident has raised questions regarding school safety measures and the availability of medical facilities during sports training sessions.
