Malappuram: The 14-year-old boy from Panthalloor in Malappuram district who died due to Nipah had always dreamt of becoming a football player. He had been a regular in the nearby football academy for the last few years and actively engaged in the coaching sessions.
The boy was also a member of the football academy in his school and represented the academy team in some tournaments. He played as a winger in the academy at the school in his age category. The football coach at the school, V P Sudheer, remembers him as an active trainee and an ambitious footballer.
"We have called upon the interested students from the school to join the academy on July 12. I had enquired to his classmates about his absence and they informed me that he was sick. The boy was very active in the academy training sessions. He played as a winger in the team and was very dedicated to improving his skills,'' said Sudheer. The boy is survived by his father, mother and two younger siblings. His father is an expatriate and reached home after knowing the seriousness of his disease.
His father and mother are in quarantine at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital along with his uncle. "We have made all the arrangements for the burial at the Odombatta Old Juma Masjid this evening. Only five persons would be allowed for the burial. The locals here are very cautious about the outbreak and the health officials are providing regular updates and awareness,'' said N T Surendran, a neighbour and ward member from the locality of the boy.
The seven teachers who visited the boy and the students from his division are in self-quarantine at present. "The boy travelled on the school bus and the health department has asked all the students and staff travelling on the bus to go into quarantine. I have learned from the teachers that the boy was very active in school and interested in football. It is a shocking incident and we have taken all the measurements as per the guidelines of the health department to control the disease,'' School Manager Abdul Azeez said.
One of his classmates is under observation along with a 68-year-old man from a nearby locality. Their samples have been taken and sent to the virology lab.
