By Tom Parsons
June 19 – Dusko Krtalica, an amateur goalkeeper from Bosnia, was shot in the head by a stray bullet during a match — only to finish the contest by brushing off the pain as a routine knock he’d taken!
Krtalica, 51, was taking part in an amateur tournament in Sarajevo when he noticed a sharp pain in his head. He believed the pain came from earlier in the match when he made a diving save and hit his head on the side of the goalpost.
Unbeknown to him until after the match was that the bullet had lodged in his brain and Krtalica was rushed to hospital following complaints of numbness in his arm and his speech deteriorating. Doctors were shocked at what they discovered but were able to remove the bullet without any further complications.
Following a quick search, police found 12 other bullets scattered around the pitch where the incident took place. They suspect they were fired as part of traditional wedding celebrations nearby. A 42 year-old has since been arrested.
The good news for Krtalica, along with the fact that he is expected to recover fully, is that his team won and he conceded just one goal.