Football: Teen footballer 'will play again' despite being struck by lightning, left in coma

NZ Herald

6 Jul, 2020 10:00 PM2 mins to read

The moment a bolt of lightning struck teenager Ivan Zaborsky. Photo / Instagram

A teenage Russian footballer is in a coma after being struck by lightning during team training.

Video footage captured the moment 16-year-old Ivan Zaborsky was laid low by the strike, just as he was practising a shot at goal for his team FC Znamya Truda.

Goalkeeper Ivan was wearing a metal chain which contributed to him also being left with a scar around his neck.

After collapsing to the ground, coaches and teammates reportedly rushed to his aide with trainer Anton Basov performing a heart massage and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the boy.

The teen was then rushed to hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma, where he remains now, though is showing positive signs of recovery.

The moment a bolt of lightning struck teenager Ivan Zaborsky. Photo / Instagram

Speaking about the incident, Ivan's girlfriend Yelena told Podyem media: "He is in stable condition.

"He regained consciousness but due to a strong painful shock he had to be put back into a coma.

"He has a scar around his neck where the lightning hit his chain, and that his lung was damaged. He needs time to stabilise."

Ivan's sister Karina Zaborovskaya told Podyem that her brother was both lucky to survive but unlucky to have been struck on what was described as a cloudless day.

"Doctors say that he was born under a lucky star. I still can't comprehend it all. I cannot understand how it could happen.

"There were no clouds above the stadium before and during the training session, nothing signalled trouble."

Igor Mayorov, FC Znamya Truda's general director, told RT.com on Tuesday he had been in touch with the boy's father, who relayed the situation in the hospital and also that his son would play football again.

"I have been in contact with his father, [Ivan]'s eyes react, he responds to commands, the dynamics of recovery are positive, he will play again," Mayorov said.