18-year-old Nigerian basketball player, Seyi Sodiq, has died in Abuja after suffering from cardiac arrest.
The Alba Fehérvár men’s basketball team player in Hungary, reportedly returned home to Abuja, on the advise of his parents after he was diagnosed with serious health issues last autumn.
According to Hungary Today, Sodiq decided not to undergo surgery in Hungary after much deliberation but came back to Nigeria to be treated traditionally in February 2022.
After receiving treatment in Abuja Sodiq reportedly resumed basketball training few months ago and was preparing to go back to Hungary to join his teammates in Alba, before his sudden demise on Saturday morning, as his heart stopped beating a week before his 19th birthday.
The club held a one minute silence for Sodiq before their league game on Saturday night.
The memorial on the club’s website recalls that the African basketball player arrived in Hungary at the age of 13 and stood out from the local field with his excellent performances in the junior championships. At the age of 16, he made his debut for the Székesfehérvár-based club’s adult team.