Following several incidents including the death of ex-national player Kevon Carter, Fifa together with the University of Saarland in Germany have started work on a register of cases of sudden deaths, that involved footballers.
The study is aimed at systematising the most common causes of such tragic incidents. According to the plan, the register will help clarify regional differences in the causes of footballers' sudden death, according to the Itar-Tass news agency.
On March 30, during a Ukrainian football championship match between Dnipro (Dnipropetrovsk) and Dynamo (Kiev), the captain of the latter, Oleg Gusev, got a cerebrocranial injury and a jaw fracture. That happened after a collision with the goalkeeper of Dnipro, after which Gusev fell unconscious.
Dnipro's midfielder, Jaba Kankava, was the first one to run up to the injured player and save his life.
And FIFPro, the representative body of footballers worldwide, have joined the efforts for improved medical assessments.
"FIFPro urgently requests international and national football authorities to make it mandatory for all professional clubs worldwide to submit their players to a thorough heart-related pre-competition medical assessment (PCMA), in an attempt to do the utmost to protect professional footballers from sudden cardiac death," a FIFPro statement read.
Every year, footballers die as a result of heart problems. In some cases, their lives might have been saved if they had been submitted to a thorough cardiac assessment, states Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPro Chief Medical Officer.
FIFPro added, "Perhaps Akeem Adams would still be alive if he had been examined better."
Ricardo Moniz has expressed doubts about the quality of the heart-related PCMA the player underwent before signing for the Hungarian club.
For FIFPro, the death of Adams is reason to review critically the heart-related PCMA. Dr Gouttebarge concludes that the validity and quality of the PCMA usually applied nowadays has been a subject of discussion in the medical world for many years. The death of Akeem Adams demonstrates yet again that it is extremely desirable to take the criticism seriously and improve the current heart-related PCMA.
Keeping the red, whiteand black flying outside
Their faces may not be on local television news highlights as often as it should but there is a group of talented local footballers who are heroes in different cities in other parts of the world. And among them is Kendall Jagdeosingh, who scored a hat-trick to lead his team Trat to a 4�0 victory over Ayutthaya in the Thailand Premier League on the weekend.
Jagdeosingh, formerly of Chainat FC, along with defender Seon Power has appeared on several billboards and on numerous television and newspaper clips over the past year or so as they excel for their clubs.
Every weekend their names are heard in song by their home fans. The same goes for the likes of Lester Peltier, who is on the verge of tasting League success in Slovakia with his club Slovan Bratislava. Anthony Wolfe and Cornell Glen are heroes to hundreds of fans in India as they too star for their respective clubs.
Years gone by, T&T players have made a name for themselves in the United Kingdom and the United States as well as Portugal but for the last decade or so the name T&T and the red,white and black has become a more familiar sight in countries like Belgium, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Finland, Hungary and now Lithuania.
Just ask Khaleem Hyland, Sheldon Bateau, Radanfah Abu Bakr or Shahdon Winchester, who all began playing in T&T but are now all based either in Belgium, Lithuania and Finland.
"It's a great feeling to get a hat-trick for my new club. And already there is a lot of love from the club fans. We feel great representing T&T out here," said Jagdeosingh, who completed his hat-trick on 72 minutes against Ayutthaya when he converted on a low cross and was later presented with the match ball.
Edwards could look MLS way
Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has hinted that 35-year-old Carlos Edwards could leave the club at the end of the season when his contract runs out. And with the former Sunderland man now on loan to Millwall, he too has began looking down the road and has mentioned that a move to the American Major League Soccer (MLS) could be on the cards.
"There are a couple options. Obviously I'm happy to be at Millwall now and get the playing time but if the opportunity comes to go elsewhere, even to the United States, then it's something I'd have a close look at," he said.
Millwall drew 2�2 with Blackburn Rovers on the weekend as Edwards made his debut and after helping Sunderland stay up in 2008, the ex-Defence Force man is hoping to play another saving role as the club battles relegation from the English Championship Division.
McCarthy said he felt Edwards was worth the chance to get playing time instead of being left out at Ipswich.
"To be fair to Carlos, I could have kept him here and had him as part of the squad, just as a safety valve.
"But I think we can cover that position and as a favour to him, because he has been so good and such a good player for the club–loyal, honest and straightforward–I wanted him to get some football. And it gives him a chance to put himself in the shop window," said McCarthy.
Millwall are one placed from bottom spot on 33 points, two behind closes rivals Barnsley. The last three teams will be relegated at season's end.
Malta Carib Alconstours London
Two teams from local club Malta Carib Alcons, a senior and Under-20 team comprising 30 players, are currently in London to play a series of training matches against academy and reserve teams.
Former national striker Stern John is with the club as a member of its technical staff while his son Tyrik is a member of the U-20 team as a forward.
John said the going has been tough for Alcons so far.
"It's been a real eye opener for the players. The results have been less than impressive but the experience they are gaining here is really good for them. I think especially for the youth players, there is going to be a lot for them to gain from this trip," said John, who played for several seasons in England for the likes of Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Coventry City among other clubs.
Shaun Fuentes is the director of communications for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association. shaunfuentes@yahoo.com