Belarus Premier League side FC Vitebsk have said the drowning of Nigerian footballer Kelvin Odenigbo was an “accident.”
The club doctors on Monday explained that following forensic examinations, no violent marks were seen on the 20-year-old’s body.
“According to the results of the forensic medical examination, no violent marks were found on the football player’s body, there are no traces of alcohol in Kelvin’s blood,” a statement on FC Vitebsk’s website explained.
“It was a drowning accident that shocked us all. Now the question of the burial ceremony of the player is being decided.
“You can honor the memory of Kelvin on the territory of the stadium – the central entrance to the administration.”
Details of Odenigbo’s burial rites, the club added, will be released in due time.
The footballer was found dead after drowning in a lake in Belarus over the weekend. His club had earlier confirmed the sad incident, explaining that he drowned in Lake Beloye.
“The football club “Vitebsk” reports that on June 5, 2021, on the lake “Beloye”, in the area of the tourist base “Verasy”, OSVOD employees found the drowned Kelvin Odenigbo,” the club said in a Google-translated statement posted on its website.
While commiserating with the family and friends of the deceased player.
“We express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the football player, as well as to all the fans of the team,” the club said.
The Nigerian who played four games this season for the Belarus team also provided one assist for the sixth-placed club.
He joined the club from the Nigerian National League team NAF Rockets FC, at the end of last season before sealing a permanent deal for the 11-match-old 2021/22 campaign.
