Durban - A bunch of flowers was laid in front of a goalpost, not as a symbol of victory for a match, but a reminder of a loss of life.
A soccer match on Friday evening, between Riverside and Juventus football clubs’ junior teams, ended tragically when the goalpost at the Riverside sports ground in Durban North fell on eight-year-old Kiyan Singh, causing his death.
Jessica Lukas, a bar manager at the Riverside Sports Club, said Singh was standing on the sidelines of the pitch as a reserve player when the post hit him.
“The boy was not playing at the time of the incident but was standing, waiting for his turn. His coach tried to hold the post and prevent it from landing on the boy but apparently the boy ran in the other direction and was hit,” Lukas said.
“His coach did all he could - they tried to save him. It was a freak incident. We are extremely sad about the loss and our sympathies are with the family.” She said all goalposts were put down immediately after the incident.
When the Sunday Tribune arrived at the grounds yesterday, the Riverside FC team gathered with their parents for a moment of silence.
The chairperson of Juventus FC, Steven Papini, confirmed the accident.
“We want to express our deepest condolences to the family. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family in this dark period. Unfortunately at this stage, the information received of this tragic accident is sketchy and we await further details from the Riverside Sport Club and SAPS. I can confirm this was an out-of-season friendly game played at the Riverside Sports Club,” said Papini.
SAPS spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said an inquest was being investigated by Durban North police. “An eight-year-old boy was watching soccer at the Riverside sports ground, in Prospect Hall Road, when the wind caused the goalpost to fall on to the head of the boy.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated,” said Gwala.