Football star's death puts fresh focus on speeding

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: The tragic death of rising Emirati football star Diab Awana in a car crash on Sunday night shocked sport fans and officials in the UAE and put renewed focus on the threat of speeding.

The initial investigations revealed that excessive speed and reckless driving caused Awana's vehicle to swerve to the extreme right side near Abu Dhabi's Shaikh Zayed Bridge. The accident occurred at 11pm on Sunday. Awana, 21, died instantly.

The footballer's death is the second of a sports star in two consecutive days. Saeed Al Nooby, 19-year-old Al Dhafra club player, also died in a traffic accident the previous day. Sources said Awana was driving back after offering condolences to Al Nooby's family.

Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, who led officials and fans at Awana's funeral prayer yesterday called on social, sports and educational institutions to draw nationwide contingency plans to campaign against traffic accidents.

"The campaign should be aimed at instilling the values of safe driving among young men and women in the country," he said. Shaikh Saif said the programmes should highlight the fact that speeding is the largest contributor to traffic fatalities and that losing a life is not worth the time people would save by driving faster.

Shaikh Saif, who is the chairman of Bani Yas Club where Awana used to play, called on motorists to take extra safety measures while driving and to expect the unexpected on the roads.

Fond farewell

Awana was laid to rest at the Bani Yas burial ground in Shamkha, about 50 km from Abu Dhabi, in late afternoon. A crowd of around 5,000 gave him a dignified farewell.

Jorvan Vieira, coach of Bani Yas Club, said the club lost "a man, a player and a great boy." "It will be very hard to replace him," Vieira added, praising the skill of the young star. The police campaign against speeding has been very successful this year, according to officials from Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The number of fatalities on the road dropped by 30 per cent from last year in Dubai. So far this year 84 have died in the first eight months compared to 115 in the same period last year.

The drop, according to Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, was a result of implementing the federal traffic law, increasing fines, and the high number of radars and patrols on Dubai roads.

Reported by M. Satya Narayan, Chief Sports Reporter, and Iman Sherif and Dina Aboul Hosn, Staff Reporters