I-League club Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) suffered a tragedy on Friday after one of their goalkeepers Arun Kumar died of a heart attack in Bangalore.
Twenty-three-year old Kumar, who joined HAL from Viva Kerala this season, passed away at the HAL hospital where he was admitted on Wednesday for treatment of a cracked shinbone, which he sustained during practice.
On Friday morning, the reserve goalkeeper complained of severe chest pain and passed away around 11am.
"Kumar was a highly talented goalkeeper, who was improving every day," said HAL captain J Murali.
"All of us were expecting Kumar to become an asset for the team in the next couple of seasons. It's a big tragedy for us."
Kumar's uncle, P Rajan, was also a reputed goalkeeper in the 1990s and played for another Bangalore club, BEML.