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Plain textUgandan Referee Killed By Fitness Test Buried, Mum Collapses
The mother of Ugandan referee David Ssebunya, who died Sunday after a fitness test exercise at Namboole Stadium, fainted on Tuesday afternoon.
FUFA publicist Rogers Mulindwa confirmed the elderly mother collapsed during the burial ceremony held at Nabusugwe, 12Km away from Kireka town.
“She was rushed to the nearby clinic! Workmates from City House, football fans and friends stood helplessly as the casket of the Grade I FUFA Referee got lowered into the grave,” Mulindwa revealed.
He has been in service since 1997.
Ssebunya 29, was part of the referees who underwent the fitness test on Friday at Mandela National Stadium-Namboole.
Official records at FUFA headquarters in Mengo indicate that the deceased completed all the six sprints that cover 240 meters in total.
His best sprint was recorded at 5 seconds and 92 micro seconds. The results for all the six sprints were 5.92, 5.96, 6.07, 6.06, 6.11 and 6.13.
He later embarked on the twelve laps in an exercise that was supervised by retired FIFA referee Mohammed Ssegonga.
He looked very fit and determined to complete the dozen laps but unfortunately, with just one lap to an end, he leaped off the lane!
He was shortly taken to the nearby clinic but later discharged. He reportedly returned home and there were signs of quick recovery.
His death took FUFA by surprise because the organisation had received reports he was getting better.
To some elders in the area, they had lost a soft spoken kind and loving grandson. “He was last week here to attend a graduation party and he shook hands with most of us…I think he was bidding farewell. The life calendar of the 29-year-old referee so got closed painfully this bright hot Tuesday afternoon,” one elder commented.
In his message to the mourners, FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa said the federation had lost one of its naturally talented referee and a sports lover.
“Refereeing is a voluntary service but Ssebunya liked his work so much that he honoured all his appointments by the referees standing committee” read part of the president’s message to the bereaved family.
The deceased joined the referees’ family in 1997 and had since got promoted from Grade III to II and finally to Grade I.
Retired FIFA referee Mohamad Ssegonga said Ssebunya would automatically have made it to the FIFA level within a short time from now.
“It was a matter of time but David was automatically a world class material in the near future” Segonga told the mourners in Nabusugwe.
The federation contributed Shs.1m (One Million shillings) towards burial arrangements.
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Updated on 2013-05-09 09:25 |
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