Berekum Chelsea winger Dominic Frimpong has been killed during an armed robbery on his side’s team bus as ​they returned from an away match in the Ghana ‌Premier League on Sunday, the country’s football association (GFA) said.

The incident occurred on the Goaso–Bibiani road as the team were heading home from the ​game against Samartex in Samreboi in the south of ​the country.

“On our way back to Berekum from ⁠Samreboi, our team bus was attacked by a group of ​armed robbers who blocked the road to prevent our passage,” ​the club said in a statement on Monday.

“Masked men welding guns and assault rifles, started shooting at our bus as the driver tried to ​reverse. The players and staff fled into nearby bushes ​to take cover.”

The Ghanaian FA later said that 20-year-old Frimpong had died ‌in ⁠the incident.

“The GFA has received with profound shock and deep sorrow the tragic news of the passing of Dominic Frimpong of Berekum Chelsea Football Club,” they said in a statement.

“This tragic ​incident is ​not only a ⁠huge loss to Berekum Chelsea but also to Ghana football as a whole. Dominic was ​a promising young talent whose dedication and passion ​for ⁠the game embodied the spirit of our league.”

It said it would strengthen security arrangements for clubs travelling for domestic competitions.

In a ⁠similar ​incident in 2023, Legon Cities’ team ​bus was attacked following a game at Samartex, though no one was reported ​injured.

-Reuters

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The execution of Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi has triggered widespread international condemnation, raising fresh concerns over human rights and the treatment of athletes in Iran.

Mohammadi, who had represented his country on the international stage, was executed on Thursday alongside two other Iranian citizens, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, following a controversial judicial process linked to anti-government protests earlier this year.

Iranian authorities allege that the three men were responsible for the killing of two police officers during demonstrations in the city of Qom on 8 January. According to official accounts, the incident formed part of a coordinated violent response during a period of heightened social tension.

Allegations of Forced Confessions and Unfair Trial

Human rights organisations have strongly disputed the official narrative, describing the trial as deeply flawed.

Groups including Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights claim Mohammadi was denied adequate legal defence and forced to confess under coercion. They also allege that the court dismissed claims of torture and ignored the athlete’s retraction of his confession.

Critics argue that the case failed to meet basic standards of due process, citing lack of credible evidence, restricted access to independent legal counsel, and limited avenues for appeal.

Athletes ‘Targeted’ in Crackdown

The execution has intensified fears that athletes are increasingly being targeted in Iran’s broader crackdown on dissent.

Iranian activist and athlete Nima Far described Mohammadi’s death as “a blatant political murder,” alleging it forms part of a pattern aimed at intimidating society and silencing influential public figures.

The case has drawn comparisons to the 2020 execution of wrestler Navid Afkari, which also sparked global outrage and highlighted the risks faced by athletes involved in protest movements.

IOC Responds Amid Calls for Action

The International Olympic Committee expressed concern over reports of mistreatment of athletes but emphasised the limits of its authority.

In a statement, the IOC noted that it is “very difficult to comment” on individual cases without verified information and stressed that, as a non-governmental organisation, it cannot influence the laws or political systems of sovereign nations.

The body added that it would continue engaging through “quiet sports diplomacy,” though activists have criticised the approach as insufficient.

Growing International Concern

Mohammadi’s execution reportedly took place just hours after the United States Department of State called for a suspension of the sentence—an appeal that was not heeded.

The incident has reignited debate over the use of capital punishment in Iran, particularly in cases linked to political unrest. Human rights groups warn of a rise in executions following mass arrests during recent protests, with thousands reportedly detained.

Reports also indicate that several athletes across different sports—including football, boxing, athletics and wrestling—remain in detention, further deepening concerns within the global sporting community.

Mohammadi, a bronze medallist at the 2024 Saytiyev Cup in Russia, had maintained his innocence during trial proceedings, stating he was elsewhere at the time of the alleged crime. His defence was ultimately rejected by the court.

His death is now being viewed as more than a legal case—it has become a symbol of the intersection between sport, politics and human rights.

As international pressure mounts, the execution underscores a troubling reality: for some athletes, representing their country on the global stage does not shield them from the consequences of political dissent.

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Chuck Norris, the former martial arts champion and 1980s action-film hero who fought the bad guys in “Code of Silence,” “Missing in Action” and “The Delta Force” and upheld the law in the TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” died on Thursday, his family said in a statement on his Instagram account on Friday.

“While we would like to ​keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the statement read.

The six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight ‌Karate Champion, whose tough-guy image inspired satirical “facts” that made him an Internet phenomenon, had been hospitalised in Hawaii on Thursday, Variety reported.

Norris starred in more than two dozen films portraying silent loners, soldiers, lawmen, veterans and All-American heroes who captured criminals, released prisoners of war, rescued hostages and battled terrorists.

With his roundhouse kicks he fought martial arts icon Bruce Lee in Rome’s Colosseum in his 1973 film debut “The Way of ​the Dragon.” Along with actor Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis he helped defeat villain Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 2012 blockbuster “The Expendables 2.”

Time magazine described ​him as “the ultimate tough guy.”

“In his strictly wham-bam B-movie genre, Norris, a former karate champion, has become the undisputed superstar,” it said in ⁠1985.

Norris dodged bullets, landed kicks squarely on an opponent’s jaw and dismissed multiple villains at a time in his action-packed films.

His macho image made him a hit at the ​box office and on the small screen. From 1993 to 2001, he played Sergeant Cordell Walker, an upstanding lawman, former Marine and martial arts expert in “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

The bearded actor, writer ​and producer became an online cult hero in 2005 when an American student created what became Chuck Norris Facts, online jokes about the actor’s physical prowess and masculinity that became a viral sensation and inspired several books.

Among the most popular were “Chuck Norris has a mug of nails instead of coffee in the morning” and “Chuck Norris doesn’t do push-ups; he pushes the Earth down.”

AN UNLIKELY TOUGH GUY

Carlos Ray Norris was born ​on March 10, 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma, the oldest of three brothers. The family moved to California after his parents divorced.

He was extremely quiet and introverted, which he attributed ​to his father’s alcoholism and the family’s poverty.

“In school I was shy and inhibited,” Norris wrote in his 2004 memoir “Against All Odds: My Story.” “If the teacher asked me to recite something aloud in front ‌of the ⁠class, I would just shake my head no.”

Norris was also not a natural athlete. He had to train remarkably hard to become a martial arts champion, he said. After graduating from school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958. While stationed in South Korea, he learned Tang Soo Do, a form of karate, and other martial arts.

The future film star started teaching martial arts in California after his discharge. He also won major competitions. Actor Steve McQueen, who was one of Norris’ students, encouraged him to try acting.

“He told me ​that I should think about projecting a presence, ​and never do a part that ⁠had a lot of dialogue,” Norris told the New York Times in a 1985 interview.

“He told me, ‘Movies are visual, and when you try to verbalize something, you’re going to lose the audience.’”

Norris’ films grossed millions and made him a popular figure among the U.S. military. He ​visited Iraq in 2006 and 2007 to show his support for American troops.

In 1990, he founded his own martial arts discipline, Chun ​Kuk Do, and established ⁠the nonprofit organization, Kickstart Kids, to teach children martial arts and self-esteem.

A patriot, Conservative and devout Christian, he worked with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and was a contributor to WorldNetDaily, a far-right news and aggregator website.

In addition to his best-selling memoir, Norris published “The Secret of Inner Strength – My Story,” his guide to self-improvement, as well as several books on fitness and martial arts and ⁠two novels – 2006’s “The ​Justice Riders” and its sequel, “A Threat to Justice.”

He was married twice and had five children.

Norris defended his films ​to critics who claimed they promoted violence. If they are well written, he said, action films can tell a story as effectively as any drama or romance.

“It’s how it’s done. I don’t advocate violence for violence’s sake,” ​he told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. “What people hang on to is that the good guy wins in the end.”

-ReutersTop of Form

Chuck Norris starred in “Walker, Texas Ranger” from 1993 to 2001. Courtesy CBS 

-Reuters

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