Teen footballer dies during warm-up in Chhattisgarh, health screening concerns raised

A 14-year-old footballer collapsed and died during routine practice on Sunday morning in the Chhindgarh block of Sukma district, bringing renewed attention to the absence of systematic health monitoring for young sportspersons in government schools and local training centres in rural Chhattisgarh.

Mohammed Faizal Nikhil, a Class IX student of Atmanand School, was performing warm-up exercises with his teammates when he suddenly fell to the ground. He was immediately taken to Chhindgarh hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Preliminary medical opinion suggests a possible cardiac arrest, though the exact cause will be confirmed after the post-mortem report.

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Faizal was known among teachers and coaches as a dedicated and disciplined player. He had recently represented his