Argentina Player suffers heart attack following Wales game

Sir

From CNN.com

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Argentina centre Martin Gaitan will miss next month's rugby union World Cup after suffering a heart attack, Pumas sources in Cardiff said on Monday.

Gaitan played the full 80 minutes of Argentina's World Cup warm-up against Wales at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday, a 27-20 defeat, but was later taken to hospital after complaining of chest pains.

The 29-year-old underwent surgery on Sunday morning at the University of Wales hospital and will remain there for at least another 48 hours under observation, Pumas doctor Mario Larrain told reporters.

A report in the Argentine daily La Nacion cast doubt on the Biarritz centre's future as a rugby player.

Team sources said Hernan Senillosa, like Gaitan a veteran of the 2003 World Cup in Australia, was his most likely replacement in the Pumas squad for the September-October tournament in France.

Argentina meet hosts France in the opening match of the World Cup in Paris on September 7. They also face Georgia, Namibia and Ireland, in that order, in Pool D.

The Pumas were due to leave Cardiff on Monday for Brussels where they face a Belgium XV in a final warm-up next weekend.

LostinBlanch

Jaysus.

bad news for the guy, but at least it wasn't suddens adult death syndrome though. Had visions of Marc Vivien Foe dying on the pitch for a second.

Funkstard

Woah, hope he comes out of it OK. That's quite scary. I'd read something about him having chest pains, didn't know anything about a heart attack or surgery.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

SpAcEd OuT

thats terrible, thank god it wasn't Sudden Adult Death Syndrome though, could have really put a dampener on the World Cup, glad he's o.k.

Steffano2002

Terrible news indeed... His career is probably over now... And less than a month before the world cup no less! Gutted...

Hope he gets well soon!

kevmy

Terrible news for him and I sincerely hope he recovers quickly and fully





However being utterly cynical and an absolute bastard it's probably good news for us. He's a good back which the Argentinians don't exactly have growing on trees and it will obviously and understandably upset the camp.

Steffano2002

kevmy wrote:

However being utterly cynical and an absolute bastard it's probably good news for us. He's a good back which the Argentinians don't exactly have growing on trees and it will obviously and understandably upset the camp.

That's terrible... Rugby is only a game. That's a man's life we're talking about.

rollie

its only a game true, sincerly hope he fully recovers....but it does change the game for Argentina a little

SpAcEd OuT

lads thats completely distasteful that one can even think about the benefits of such a thing happening

kevmy

Steffano2002 wrote:

That's terrible... Rugby is only a game. That's a man's life we're talking about.

I know I know but thats the kind of bastard I am.

Anyway he's alive and will recover and I do sincerely wish him the best. But I stand over my comments

AlphaMale 3OO

kevmy wrote:

I know I know but thats the kind of bastard I am.

Anyway he's alive and will recover and I do sincerely wish him the best. But I stand over my comments

your're an a$$hole is what you are.

skelliser

steroids?

sickpuppy

So if the argie team died in a plane crash would be great for ireland would ya cheer?
It would be great to play asecond side team you horrible individual.
How sick it must be for a professional athlete in the prime of life to be struck down like this.
Wishing the man a full recovery and long life.

marco_polo

skelliser wrote:

steroids?

No!

"Tests revealed the 29-year-old was suffering from a partial tear in the wall of a coronary artery. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/6954040.stm


Fail to see how anyone could be happy that this has happened to a professional athlete who has quite probably lost his livelyhood now.

RuggieBear

forbesii wrote:

your're an a$$hole is what you are.

banned is what you are.

personal abuse is not tolerated.

ekevosu

"It is not yet known whether the problem will affect his hopes of appearing at the forthcoming World Cup. " - BBC

It's serious but the bbc don't seem to be as dramatic as reuters. Loffreda and a few others haven't been in the press talking about the loss so I think it might not be as bad as the thread first suggested...hopefully.

nacho libre

Taken from the BBC:

...the Argentinian Rugby Union (UAR) have not officially confirmed that 29-year Gaitan will miss the tournament in September but his participation now seems to be highly unlikely.

"This is a terrible blow for us," team captain Pichot told the newspaper La Nacion newspaper.

"There are not too many things to say. I only hope Martin gets over it soon."

His sentiments were echoed by full-back Ignacio Corleto, who added: "The squad is shocked, but we only want him to get over it.

"This is like a bomb. As happens in life, you have to fight until the end.

"We have to get over this shock. If Martin can, we can."


This is not the first time that an Argentine player has suffered such a problem after second row Alejandro Allub was forced to retire following a similar incident during a tour to New Zealand in 2001.

"There are no causes you can predict," said team doctor Mario Larrian.

"What has happened is quite rare as, according to statistics, it happens to one in six million people. Unfortunately, it has happened to us twice."

Argentina face France in the opening match of the tournament on 7 September.

kevmy

sickpuppy wrote:

So if the argie team died in a plane crash would be great for ireland would ya cheer?
It would be great to play asecond side team you horrible individual.
How sick it must be for a professional athlete in the prime of life to be struck down like this.
Wishing the man a full recovery and long life.

Didn't say it wasn't horrible, didn't wish for it to happen to the poor man but it has happened and facts are facts. No amount of sympathy from me or anyone else will change the fact that it has happened. I wish it could.

As for the whole Argentinian team dying in a plane crash two totally different things. This man has had what is a serious career and life threatening injury. That could happen in a ruck but it has unfortunately happened this way. However he will recover. Personnally I'd say WC will be the last thing on his mind he's happy to be alive.

Now if someone died by definition they cannot recover and that is very different.