IPOH: The Form Four student who collapsed during the National-Level Fully Residential School (SBP) Rugby 7s Tournament here on Friday (Oct 3) died from internal bleeding caused by a torn psoas muscle, police said.
Ipoh District Police Chief ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad stated that the post-mortem conducted by the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) Forensic Department revealed that the injury resulted in exsanguination of the right hip muscle.
He said the victim, aged 16 and from Johor, collapsed suddenly at about 10.30am while he was about to enter the field for the second half of the match.
"Preliminary interviews with the accompanying teacher revealed that the victim showed no signs of illness or fatigue during the first half of the game.
"The medical officer on duty at the scene immediately administered first aid after finding the victim suffering from muscle cramps and suspected seizures.
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"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was also performed after his pulse was found to be weak," he said in a statement on Saturday (Oct 4).
He said the victim was rushed to HRPB here for further treatment, but was pronounced dead at 11.18am.
In extending his condolences to the victim's family, he urged the public not to speculate about the incident.
Following the student's death, the Education Ministry decided to cancel the 2025 National-Level SBP Rugby 7s Tournament.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, in expressing her deep sadness and sympathy to the bereaved family, said the ministry had ensured that all emergency preparedness measures and safety protocols were thoroughly implemented, describing the incident as “unforeseen“.
"That is why the decision to cancel the matches is important, as we want to stand in solidarity and offer our support to the student's family," she told reporters after attending a 'yasin' recital and 'tahlil' prayers for the victim, Muhammad Fauzan Mohd Sulaiman, 16, at Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR) here on Saturday.
The tournament would now be held from Jan 28-31 next year, she added. – Bernama
