Medics save Uzbekistan boxing coach’s life
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Two members of the GB Olympic team’s medical personnel helped save the life of the head coach for the boxing team from Uzbekistan.
On 8 August at Roland Garros in Paris, during celebrations for a gold medal won by Uzbek fighter Hasanboy Dusmatov, Tulkin Kilichev experienced a heart attack in the warm-up area. Two members of Team GB’s medical staff have been involved in saving the life of Mr. Kilichev, Head Coach of Uzbekistan’s national men’s boxing team.
According to Mr Lillis, who was present at that time at the venue, there was “a cry for a doctor” and him and his colleague Dr Harj Singh came running over to perform CPR and use a defibrillator. According to Lillis, who said he heard screaming coming from that side and seeing some commotion happening there not like celebrating winning goal but something else.
Mr Kilochev is thought to be recovering well in hospital. Robbie Lillis said: “Uzbekistan coach were all cheering for their man Dusmatov as he clinched gold in the 51kg category until I heard what sounded like shouting rather than celebration. ”The physiotherapist explained to PA news agency: “There was kind of cry out loud requesting a doctor or something. And first responder with Harj followed by me bringing emergency trauma bag.”
The physiotherapist reached Mr Kilichev around half a minute after Harj had begun performing CPR – an emergency action to save someone whose heart has stopped beating. “A lot of coaches were very upset throughout this process so it took us about five seconds just emptying out space,” he claimed. Mr Lillis, who indicated that he employed a defibrillator on Mr Kilichev, which is administered with a shock to the heart and aims at resetting its rhythm back to normal.
“At first he did not come back but, about 20 or 30 seconds later after a Harj continued CPR for us all of sudden he came back awake with us that was great”.
The venue’s medical team arrived within minutes and Mr Kilichev was taken to hospital where it is understood he is in a stable condition.
“I’m just praying that the Uzbekistan boxing coach makes a full recovery.”
“I am really grateful that we had all the gear with us. We were both there and trained,” Mr Lillis said.
Mr Lillis said he didn’t sleep on Thursday night after what happened.
“It was obviously like an adrenaline rush at the time managing the situation,” said Mr Lillis. “I am obviously happy to play a role in trying to help somebody survive through these things happening.”
His mother told him “that’s your Olympic moment” as he writes in an interview with BBC Sport from his home before talking about his own experience at Rio 2016: “It’s something obviously I’ll definitely remember, I don’t think I’m going to be forgetting that any time soon.”
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