Cold 'almost claimed soccer player's life'

A young soccer player almost died on the pitch as a result of the cold during a match played in appalling conditions in Wairarapa at the weekend, it is being claimed.

Azim Sheik, aged 19, from Carterton, was rushed to Masterton Hospital with severe hypothermia soon after the match between Wairarapa United and Featherston was called off Sunday.

By the time he reached the hospital, he had stopped breathing.

Sheik, now recovered, said that after playing the first half in the extreme cold his situation worsened at half time when he stopped moving around.

After play resumed he quickly started to lose control of his faculties.

"The next thing I knew I couldn't do anything. I couldn't walk and then I blacked out," he said.

Wairarapa United development squad coach Phil Keinzley said the icy conditions were the worst he had seen on a soccer pitch and he feared for the worst as Sheik was rushed to hospital.

"At one stage he seemed to stop breathing and we thought we had lost him," Mr Keinzley said

Mr Keinzley said Wairarapa United management called off the match when they noticed at least three of their players were suffering badly from the cold.

He said he could see Sheik in particular was badly affected when he went to throw the ball in and threw it in the wrong direction. Mr Keinzley said he also saw him walking in the wrong direction and said he was obviously disorientated.

Mr Keinzley and Sheik's parents bundled him into a car and drove at high speed to hospital.

Sheik's team mates were shocked to see him carried away.

"They told me it was probably because I come from a warm country and am not used to the weather," Sheik said. "Or maybe because I have no fat on my body."

The Wairarapa College student and his family arrived from Fiji two years ago.

He said he wasn't aware of the drama that he was the centre of until he came to in hospital some time later.

"When I woke up it felt like I had a real bad headache," he said.

His mother told him that his body temperature had dropped to the high 20s, almost 10deg C below normal.

Sheik said everything happened so fast and he was lucky that those around him knew what was wrong and acted quickly.

"The coach was really good and it's good having team mates that really care," he said.

He was admitted to Masterton Hospital and later discharged when his temperature had returned to normal.

He hopes to be back on the pitch for this weekend's match against Carterton.

- WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE