OBITUARY
Olympic rider dies in avalanche
Snowboarder Sophie Hediger died in an avalanche in Arosa, Switzerland this week, the Swiss Ski Association announced in a statement.
“For the Swiss Ski family, the tragic death of Sophie Hediger has cast a dark shadow over the Christmas holidays. We are immeasurably sad. We will keep an honourable memory of Sophie,” said Walter Reusser of the ski association.
The Zurich native was only 26 years old and achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes last season. She competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in the women’s snowboard cross and the mixed team snowboard cross.
According to information from the Graubünden police, Hediger was on the closed Black Diamond slope accompanied by another snow sports enthusiast. The other person managed to alert the emergency services and started looking for the victim.
“They left the closed slope and the woman was caught in an avalanche on a slope. Her companion notified the rescue services and went to search for the buried woman,” the police wrote.
Hediger was located around 3:30 pm and finally recovered from the mass of snow, but resuscitation efforts were in vain. The Grisons prosecutor’s office has now opened an investigation to determine what happened.
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After the death of Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer in January this year, another FIFA World Cup-winning player, George Eastham of England has died.
This brings to three, the number of FIFA World Cup finalist players who passed on in the year. Johan Neesken who played in the final match for Holland against Franz Beckenbauer’s West Germany had also died in October.
The latest death is that of George Eastham, a member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad. He was 88. His former club, Stoke City announced his death on Friday.
Son of England international George Senior, midfielder and inside forward Eastham played for Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City in the English top-flight league in a professional career spanning two decades, and earned 19 international caps.
Known for his lethal left foot and creativity, Eastham is a legend at Stoke, famously scoring the winner in the 1972 League Cup final, helping the club win their first major trophy in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
Eastham made 194 league appearances for Stoke over eight seasons, and went on to manage the club between 1977-78.
The Blackpool-born player is also remembered for his crusade against the old ‘retain and transfer’ system which allowed a club to keep a player’s registration as a means to force them to stay.
When Eastham’s contract with Newcastle expired in 1959, he went on a strike for eight months to force the club to let him join Arsenal.
Eastham also moved the High Court against the ‘retain and transfer’ system, where a judge found it to be unreasonable, leading to major reforms in the British transfer market and the establishment of a tribunal to deal with disputes.
He received the award of an ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ (OBE) in 1973 for his services to football.
Stoke players will wear a black band as a mark of respect for Eastham when they visit Sheffield Wednesday for a Championship game on Saturday, the club said in a statement.
“The Stoke City Football Club family is immensely saddened by the passing of club legend George Eastham… our thoughts are with George’s family and friends at this difficult time,” the statement added.
The club will also pay tribute to Eastham at the home game against Leeds United on Boxing Day.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
A Japanese World Cup journalist who covered 10 editions of the global event, Hiroshi Kagawa has died. He covered the World Cup, starting with the 1974 edition in West Germany till Brazil 2014, missing out only at South Africa 2010 on health grounds.
At the Brazil 2014, his last, Sports Village Square correspondent met him as, at 89, he was the oldest member of the press corps.
He died on 5 December this year, just 24 days before his 100th birthday.
According to information gleaned from AIPS – the global body for sports journalists, Kagawa was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Japan Football Association and five years later, he was honoured with the FIFA Presidential Award.
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A former player of Hasaacas FC in Ghana, Kwabena Baidoo has reportedly died in the celebration that attended the return of John Dramani Mahama to power as President-Elect.
According to reports from Ghana Soccernet, the former footballer died in the Ellembelle District of the country during the celebration of the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) victory in the 2024 General Election.
According to reports, Baidoo was in jubilation when he met his demise in a motor accident.
His sister, Charity, and brother, Emmanuel Quarm, confirmed the sad news.
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