Rugby deaths worrying – Daily Nation

By EDITORIALMore by this Author

The sudden death of Kenya rugby international Tony Onyango 12 days ago has given the Kenya Rugby Union and other sports federations serious food for thought regarding player safety. Onyango suffered a heart attack and died at his Nairobi home, moments after a training session. He had complained of chest discomfort and was advised to take a rest.

Onyangos is one among several cases in which young rugby players have died, principally from heart-related conditions.

Joshua Gathumbi collapsed and died after a match in 2010 while Victor Wayodi passed on during play in 2016, both from cardiac arrest.

Wayodi died barely a week after another player, Ogeto Gecheo, passed on after a freak injury in a league match.

These sudden deaths of rugby players, considered among the fittest in sport, is worrying. There are no local recent records where players from other sporting codes have suffered similar fate, which should trigger alarm bells at the Kenya Rugby Union.

Union officials must dig deep and identify the causes of these heart conditions and also come up with strict laws to protect players from fatal injuries.

With technological advancement and improvements in sports science, most players have embraced food supplements to enhance performance.

But some of these steroid products have adverse side effects with several having been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

A good number of these supplements lead to high blood pressure and can easily make worse existing heart ailments that players may not be aware of, especially if not detected in good time.

Clubs must take the safety and health of their players first, for they are not robots.

The slightest sign of illness or discomfort should be addressed properly and conclusively.

See the original post:

Rugby deaths worrying - Daily Nation