Sick player to return home
SAO PAULO, Brazil — National Under-17 football player Romario Thompson will be sent home after being diagnosed with an undisclosed medical condition.
That medical condition of Thompson was not revealed but the Observer understands it has to do with his heart.
Thompson, 16, a defender from St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETH), apparently arrived in Brazil with the condition but was later discovered by team doctor Ivor O’Connor, who requested that he be excused from the training sessions, until further tests were done on him.
Medical examinations at Hospital Municipal Mario Gatti were done at and he later returned and trained with his teammates.
But Roy Simpson, team manager said, Thompson will be sent home for further medical evaluation, re the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) policy.
“When he came to Brazil we knew of his medical condition and what the doctor did, was have him done some tests here,” Simpson told the Observer.
“He did the tests and he was OK to train, but based on the JFF policy, we prefer him to go back for further evaluation and that is why he has been sent back,” confirmed Simpson.
Meanwhile, with Thompson scheduled to leave on January 3, no replacement will be necessary for him, but an additional player in goalkeeper Richard Trench of Rusea’s High is scheduled to arrive in Brazil by Tuesday to ease the injury worries being experienced by the goalkeepers in camp.
Yesterday, the Jamaicans had to postpone a practice match because no goalkeepers were in condition to participate.
Also, the JFF’s general secretary Horace Reid will be arriving in Brazil between today and Sunday to finalise the extension of the training camp from three to six weeks.
The Under-17s are scheduled to leave the Traffic Football Academy on Monday for Pousada Clube Serra Negra near Rio Claro, approximately two-and-a-half hours away from Porto Feliz.
Also, two accomplished tutors at the levels at which the players presently are in school, should be arriving with Reid to help keep the boys focussed on their school work.
