Tragedy

It's not often that we'll talk about a tragedy in another sport, but this is just sad. Yahoo Sports is reporting that en route to a Kontinental Hockey League match, all but one of the 1st team of Russian club Lokomotiv were killed in a horrific plane crash. The surviving member, Alexander Gamilov, is currently in intensive care with burns covering 80% of his body. This was to be the initial match of the new hockey season for Lokomotiv.

It is eerily similar to the 1993 crash in Africa of the promising Zambian National Soccer team. The young team was en route to Senegal to play in a 2nd round qualifying match. Spared from the accident were three players. By strange circumstances, their starting forward, Kalusha was in Amsterdam, unable to make the connecting flight.

This Zambian team were no slouches. Just a few years earlier, they stunned an Italian squad 4-0 in the 1988 Olympics to finish 5th. Sports Illustrated has a great article looking back at the Zambian team that is well worth the read. So much promise, so much loss.

Our hearts go out to the Lokomotiv team, their families and fans.

Photo: sportslogo