A soccer player’s body was found in his home country… Vice President “painful loss”

The body of Ghanaian national soccer player Kristian Arts, who died in the Turkiye earthquake, has been returned to his home country.

According to the BBC, etc., Art’s body arrived at Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport around 7:40 pm on the 19th (local time) on a Turkish airliner.

Ats’ body was greeted by the bereaved family, Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Baumia, high-ranking government officials, and officials from the Ghana Football Association. Many citizens also gathered at the airport and mourned.

The Ghanaian government held a memorial service in a solemn atmosphere after moving Atsu’s coffin with a national flag. Media broadcast the process live.

Vice President Baumia said, “We prayed and prayed every day with hope. But unfortunately, when he was found, he was no longer there.” “This is a very painful loss. He who was loved as a soccer player will be missed.”

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Art has been playing for Turkey’s professional football club Hatayspor since September of last year. Prior to his move to Turkiye, he mainly played in the European big leagues. From 2012 to 2019, he scored 9 goals in 65 A matches as a member of the Ghanaian national team, and played an active role in Newcastle (England), Malaga (Spain), and Porto (Portugal).

After scoring the winning goal in a home game on February 5, he disappeared the next day when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southeastern Turkiye. Antakya, the hometown of his team, belongs to the southern region that was hit the hardest by the earthquake.

At the beginning of the disappearance, there was a report that Artz was safely rescued, but it turned out to be a false report, and he was eventually found dead in the 12-story luxury apartment ‘Renaissance Residence’ in Antakya, where he lived on the 18th.

The apartment, which was completed in 2013, was equipped with high-quality facilities and was dubbed ‘a building in heaven’. However, it collapsed due to the earthquake, revealing that the building was poorly constructed with cheap materials. An apartment complex developer was arrested by the police at the airport while trying to leave the country.

Ki Sung-yong’s Instagram

Arts also has a relationship with Korean soccer player Ki Sung-yong (34, Seoul). Ki Sung-yong built a friendship with Arts while working together at Newcastle United in the English Premier League.

On the 18th, Ki Sung-yong mourned through Instagram, saying, “When we were together in Newcastle, Christian was always sincere and was a very good friend who was always warm to me.” .

Source: Donga

Mark

Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.