Samoan Boxing Coach Dies At The Paris Olympics: What His Cause Of Death Means

The Samoan boxing coach managing a top heavyweight boxer at the Paris Olympics died at the athletes village in Saint-Denis on Friday.

He was 60.

Samoan Boxing Coach Died At The Paris Olympics Athletes Village

Lionel Elika Fatupaito managed top heavyweight boxer Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali, a favourite at the games.

The Samoa Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) told the Associated Press that Elika Fatupaito succumbed to natural causes.

The International Olympic Committee and the French committee organising the Paris Olympics expressed sadness following the Samoan coach’s death and paid condolences to his family.

*Samoan Boxing Coach Dies At The Paris Olympics: What His Cause Of Death Means [Image: US Weekly]*

Plodzicki-Faoagali mourned his manager in an Instagram Story on Saturday, 28 July, describing him as a “Grand Master”:

“No words can express how I feel but rest in love coach Lionel”.

What Does It Means To Die Of Natural Causes

When a person dies of natural causes, their death would have resulted from an internal medical condition or the natural aging process rather than from an external factor such as an accident, violence, or poisoning.

Thie term is often used when someone passes away due to illnesses like heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory illnesses, or other health conditions that typically arise with age.

ALSO READ: We Need More Athletes! – Zimbabweans React To Size Of Delegation Accompanying 7 Athletes To Paris Olympics

Which Famous Sports People Died From Natural Causes?

While Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash was widely publicised, his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, an NBA player and coach, died of natural causes at 68 in 2021.

Legendary golfer Arnold Palmer also passed away in 2016 at 87 from heart complications.

Boxing icon Muhammad Ali bowed out of the world at 74 from septic shock due to unspecified natural causes. Ali had battled Parkinson’s disease for more than 30 years.

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