Stunned sports fans are mourning the tragic death of Al Najma Club’s basketball player Kenny Ejim. The 27-year-old was found dead in his hotel apartment in Juffair.
Investigations are continuing into the circumstance surrounding the incident, led by the public prosecution, said the deputy head of the Capital Governorate.
The Attorney Generals office has taken samples of tablets found at the scene. A close friend has told investigators the player was taking medication to manage his hyperactivity.
The basketball club’s general manager Khalid Seyadi extended his condolences to the player’s family, friends and teammates on behalf of the club as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The Nigerian-Canadian star, who has also played professionally in Spain and Canada, had already won over the hearts of Bahrain’s basketball fanatics with his high-flying jumps and skilful shots in the short time that he had played here.
He joined the club a month ago to play forward and had become a valuable playing asset and proved to be a friendly and passionate addition to the squad.
“We are very sorry for the loss of Kenny and would like to send our condolences to his family, fellow teammates and friends,” said Mr Seyadi. “The club has postponed all practice sessions for the basketball team for the time being.”
The former Humber College student was discovered dead early yesterday by one of the property’s staff members and a concerned fellow Canadian teammate.
“He had missed Monday’s practice and we tried to get hold of him,” said Mr Seyadi. “He had just played in a tough game against Al Hala Club on Friday and even attended a mini practice. It is not unusual for players to miss one practice, but by the next day, his teammate went to check on him and, when he and the hotel staff failed to get a response after knocking on the door, they broke in and found him. We then received a call from the hotel apartment telling us the sad news.
“We are just waiting on the report from the Ministry of Interiors on the cause of death and from the medical examiners who are carrying out an autopsy.”
Fans along with current and former teammates have taken to social media to express their heartache.
Assistant coach for Al Najma Club’s men basketball first team, Fatima Reyadh, has been in tears since she heard the news. “I can’t stop crying,” said Ms Reyadh. “It is really hard to deal with. He was just with us and now he is gone. He had made such a positive impact on all of us.”
An @bu_sara_bh on Instagram commented ‘Rest in Peace’ and shared what was being said on the club’s @alnajma_club Instagram account to non-Arabic speakers.
American professional basketball player for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League Trevon Tyler Duval commented on Mr Ejim’s last Instagram post, stating the player was ‘one of his favourite/best teammates EVER!’. The two of them played for the Hamilton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) in 2021.
Meanwhile, the commissioner/CEO of the CEBL, Mike Morreale, tweeted: “My sincere condolences and prayers to the Ejim family, our CEBL family and the Canadian basketball community. Tragic news today that we will think about for a long long time. RIP Kenny. It was a pleasure to watch you play and create memories that won’t be forgotten.”
Mr Ejim had played 13 games for Ciudad Autónoma De Melilla Enrique Solerr in Spain from 2020 to 2021, where he averaged double digits in points with 10.1 points per game on the season. He also played with CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers in the 2020 Summer Series averaging 2.3 points in 5.5 minutes per game.
According to Husain Dhooma, who has experience as a sports writer for the Edmonton Stingers, Mr Ejim’s uncle David, who played for numerous top teams, motivated him to start playing the game.
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