Negros booter dies after goodwill game vs Malaysia – report

A Filipino football player died shortly after playing a goodwill game against a visiting Malaysian squad in Bacolod City Thursday night. Manuel “Booting" Dabao, 56 years old, of the Bacolod United Football Club died of cardiac arrest minutes after the game, online news site Visayan Daily Star reported Friday. “We thought he was just tired and we even heard him say he was all right while the Red Cross volunteers were attending to him," match commissioner Warren Concepcion said. Dabao's team had played against the visiting Malaysian squad at the Panaad football pitch in Mansilingan village in Bacolod City. Dabao played in the first 30 minutes of the game but complained of numbness in both arms in the second half. Volunteers of the Emergency Medical Team from the Philippine Red Cross then attended to him. A volunteer said an EMT member gave Dabao an ice pack after he refused to have his blood pressure checked and an ambulance was called to bring him to the hospital when he became restless. The EMT later learned Dabao had undergone an angioplasty and had been taking medicines to maintain his cholesterol level. Concepcion said they thought Dabao was fine as the game continued and learned of his death only after the game ended in a 2-2 draw. He said Dabao is a great loss to local football, noting Dabao had organized the Kabankalan City Football Club and was its team manager. Dabao's cousin, Jose Maria Zayco, said Dabao was very athletic and used to be a gold medalist in the 100-meter sprint during his college days. Zayco added Dabao even represented Negros Occidental in the Palarong Pambansa and was one of the members of the La Salle-Bacolod football team. Dabao was also chairman of the Liberal Party in the Negros Occidental’s sixth district. His wife and three children are based in Manila, while he stayed in Kabankalan to manage the family business. – GMANews.TV