Diagnosed with collapsed lungs, quartermiler Priya Mohan’s Asian Games dreams shattered

It was just another practice session for 400m special Priya Mohan at the JSW facilities in Bellary last Thursday until she felt a sharp pain in her shoulders and chest. The 20-year-old rushed to the doctor, who initially felt it could be a case of muscle stiffness before prescribing muscle relaxants.
But the muscle relaxants were of little help for the two-time Junior World Championships relay medall. An X-ray was immediately done and something far more serious than muscle cramps were detected.
“They found out I had Pneumothorax (collapsed lungs, where air leaks into space between lungs and chest walls). I had never heard about this condition before. I was having pain in my shoulders for the last few days but it became unbearable on Thursday during practice so I had to rush to the hospital,” Priya said over a call from Bellary.
Priya, who switched from long-time coach Arjun Ajay to Sydney Olympic champion hurdler Arnier Garcia this May, was eager to participate in the ongoing Inter-State meet in Bhubaneswar and make the cut for the Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou later this year. But the lung complication has poured cold water over her Asian Games hopes.
Priya Mohan at last month’s Federation Cup in Ranchi. Credit: Andrew Amsan
“When the doctors told me about the condition and that I have to be away from sports for a while, I couldn’t bear it. I cried a lot but then I had to just accept it. We, athletes, start preparing for an event the moment the schedule comes out. I was in really good shape and would have finished on the podium at the Inter-State meet. It is a new experience for me but this will only make me come out stronger,” said Priya.
Priya felt she was lucky that the issue was detected immediately and corrective measures could be taken or else things could have been worse. But she had to undergo an invasive treatment process where a hollow tube was inserted between her ribs to let the excess air between the lung and chest walls which was causing her lung to collapse in the first place. Her condition was so critical that doctors advised against travelling to Bengaluru, her home city, for the procedure.
“I had a tube inserted in my chest and it was kept there for four days. It was extremely uncomfortable, I couldn’t move around at all and it was quite painful. The doctors told me how serious the condition was only after the tubes were removed. They did not want me to get scared or get worried,” said Priya who had her tubes removed just two days ago.
Although Pirya has accepted the fact that her Asian Games dreams are all but over, this sudden derailment of her plans has hit the youngster hard. After clocking the fastest quarter mile (52.77s) among Indians in 2021 at 18, the Bengaluru athlete improved her timings to 52.37 the next year. Although she couldn’t run a sub 53s race in the three events she has taken part in so far the season, she was confident of a good show in Bhubaneswar this week.
“I have faced hamstring issues and then it took me a while to adjust to the new workouts given coach Garcia. I have not trained with him in the off-season so I was gradually getting into the groove. This time I was really confident,” she said.
“Did not start”
On Thursday morning, the heats of the 400m races were conducted and a “did not start” went against Priya’s name in the results l. She closely followed the proceedings on the federation’s live stream on her phone. The doctors have advised her complete rest for the next two weeks post which she will meet a cardiolog for further treatment. The doctors have not yet given any clarity on how long it will take for Priya to recover completely or when she can resume training.
Priya is a little baffled what has transpired in the last week but now when she looks back at the frequent visits to the doctor for “cold” related symptoms, it is not difficult to join the dots, she said.“I think I have a hory of lung infection. I used to get cold and cough very often but I was never diagnosed properly. I never thought it could lead to something this big,” said Priya whose mother has flown into Bellary to take care of her.
Although disillusioned at not being able to compete in the Inter-State meet, Priya plans to go to the training ground on Friday to get some fresh air. “I cannot take part in sports for now but I will go to the ground and cheer for the other youngsters here at the IIS facilities. My heart and soul lie in sports and I just can’t stay away from the ground.”