New | Indian footballer dies after somersault celebration goes horribly wrong

A 23-year-old Indian footballer has died from severe spinal cord damage after attempting to celebrate a goal with a somersault, an official told reporters on Monday.

Bethlehem Vengthlang FC midfielder Peter Biaksangzuala died on Sunday at a hospital in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram after the incident in Tuesday’s match in the third tier Mizoram Premier League (MPL).

"We are shocked by the case. We at the Mizoram Football Association did all we could but could not save him," MFA secretary Lalnghinglova Hmar said.

After scoring the equaliser against Chanmari West FC, a flipping Biaksangzuala landed awkwardly and was lying unconscious as his team mates surrounded him and gestured for help.

"The association president also being the state health minister, he did all that was possible even though he was out of station.

"We considered the option to fly him to Delhi but his condition was pretty bad. He was mostly unconscious, occasionally spelling out a few words," Hmar said.