Fallen captain to be honoured in requiem mass

A requiem mass for Abedeen Shikhoyi, captain of the Kenya women's national team passed away at the Nairobi Hospital on Saturday, will be held on May 10 at Friends’ Church Maringo.

A statement from Kenya Rugby Union,KRU said she will be buried on May 12 in Ikolomani, Kakamega County, Western Kenya.

Abedeen was admitted to Nairobi Hospital after sustaining a neck injury during the first leg of the women's Elgon Cup match against Uganda in Kampala on Saturday 21 April.

KRU, working in tandem with Abedeen’s family, have set up a joint working committee tasked with the overall responsibility of organizing her funeral.

There will be a memorial service celebrating Abedeen’s life at 2.00pm on Monday 7 May  at the Friends Church.

Abedeen was stretchered off the pitch from a suspected spinal injury and was airlifted to Nairobi Hospital.

When sportsnewsarena.com contacted a KRU official, they said surgery had been done and they were awaiting the results from a neuro surgeon.

The KRU put a line on their facebook about the injury and did not say anything more.

The KRU were however grateful to the Ugandans who made sure that the player was airlifted to Nairobi soon after the incident.

On Monday, a KRU official said Abedeen could slightly move her hands. From then, the information flow was scanty with the only news being:the surgery was successful but she still doesn’t have a feel for her lower body, and isin the ICU.”

Abedeen was a fine player, solid, strong ball carrier and good tackler. 

Kru

Additional reporting by Eric Odanga