During the week 23 match of the Nigerian professional football league season 2019/2020, the whole football nation was gloomed by the sudden death of the Nasarawa united defender- Chinese Martins ( match involving Katsina united )
Unfortunately , the manner in which he died exposed and highlighted basic foundational problems that needed to be addressed by the hierarchy of the football fraternity in the country. Basically- this became a wake up call for clubs to upgrade and enhance club medical facilities neglected for years.
Proactively, administrators felt the need to sanitize the system through guidelines set by the league management company (LMC)
Significantly, enforcement, monitoring and management of guidelines set would go a long way to be seen in the coming years.
Progressively, I feel CHINEME MARTINS should always be remembered by the medical sports departments of all clubs in the country and as well possibly create a Foundation to constantly remind football stake holders of the need of quality health facilities in sporting events. CHINEME MARTINS took the brunt of the sacrifice.
Though no death has occurred since then but constant questions about teams upgrading medical equipment to global standard keeps suffering as teams complain of lack of funds .
Surprisingly, IMC/ Nasarawa united is yet to immortalize him _ he sacrificed his life for a poor medical system then and it looks like he has totally been forgotten…He slumped and later died.
Unfortunately, there was no ambulance and first aid team to give him first hand treatment.