A national age-group hockey representative has died after being found with serious injuries in a Napier street early yesterday.
Nettin Ashok Patel, 21, of Palmerston North, who was in Napier for an inter-club tournament, was found unconscious on the road in Faraday Street about 4am, said Napier CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Bill Gregory.
Mr Patel had a head injury and died later in Hawke's Bay Hospital, in Hastings.
Police were today awaiting a post-mortem examination in Wellington before determining whether the injuries were caused by an assault or by accident.
Mr Patel, a former New Zealand under-18 representative, was in Napier for the Central League semifinals and final, and Mr Gregory said police were trying to establish what had happened after the player left a bar in West Quay, Ahuriri, about 1.45-2am yesterday. Mr Patel and a friend got into a taxi outside the Thirsty Whale, but by mid-morning today police had still not identified or located the driver. There were no other confirmed sightings of him until he was found in the street, and police were today urgently seeking information about his movements between 2am and 4am.
Mr Gregory said Mr Patel was of Indian descent, slim, about 1.63m tall (5ft 4in), and had short dark hair. He was wearing blue jeans with a white belt, a black polo shirt and white casual shoes.
Mr Patel, who was named in a national under-15 squad in 2000 and the national under-18 squad three years ago, was a prolific goal-scoring striker in the Palmerston North High School Old Boys team.
HSOB were beaten 3-2 by fellow Palmerston North side Varsity in their semifinal on Saturday, and withdrew from yesterday's third-and-fourth playoff after being told the star player was seriously ill in hospital.
The team was staying at Kennedy Park, where most members had had a few drinks early in the evening and went to bed, aiming to get up to watch the rugby and yachting telecasts early yesterday.
Teammate Daniel Burt said Mr Patel had gone into town with other friends from the hockey fraternity. Team members learned of the situation about 6am, he said, and arrangements were made for teammates to be at the hospital throughout the day, and "to say goodbye".
Everyone at the tournament was affected, with many having played with or against Mr Patel. He had been a Manawatu player through the age grades to senior level. He was also a Central Districts representative.
Manawatu hockey boss Doug Reid and members of Mr Patel's family were in Napier today.
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