By Timothy Ojo
Tragedy struck Nigeria’s house of soccer as a Nasarawa United FC player, Chineme Martins, slumped and died during one of the Nigeria Professional Football League games on Sunday.
The tragedy, according to eyewitness accounts, occurred when Martins collided with a Katsina United player, and all efforts by the medical teams of both teams to revive him failed. He was subsequently rushed to the Dalhatu-Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, where he was pronounced dead.
A video that has gone viral on social media showed the player sprawling on the pitch, a situation that attracted the attention of both teams’ paramedics who were seen rushing to the field with only a first aid box.
The video also showed the medics employing the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation method, most of them the victim.
The tragedy underscored the poor emergency response apparatus needed in a contact sport like football as applicable in more developed climes.
Martins joined Nasarawa United on January 1, 2018. He became a regular player for the team within a short period. Despite having limited time on the field, he was always ready when called upon.
Teammates of the dead player were distraught and wept openly. Despite the tragedy, Nasarawa United went ahead to win the game 3-1.
The Chairman of the League Management Committee, LMC, Mr. Shehu Dikko, was also in deep mourning over the death of Martins.
“We commiserate with Nasarawa United and the immediate family of the late player,” he said, promising that there would be a standard autopsy to establish the cause of the player’s death.
“It is hoped that the findings of the autopsy would inform subsequent measures, if any that has not been addressed by the existing standard procedure,” he added.
Nasarawa United media officer, Mr. Eche Amos, expressed shock at the tragic demise of the young player, saying the club was not aware that of any predisposing factor that could have caused the player’s death.
“It’s terrible,” Eche Amos said. “We’re all in shock.
“He was hale and hearty, hence his selection for the match.”
He confirmed that the body of the deceased had been deposited in a morgue.
“His body is now in the mortuary.”
