Serbian coach dies during a game in Romania, police opens a case / News - Basketnews.com

Serbian coach Dalibor Destanovic died during a youth basketball game in Romania from cardiac arrest. The ambulance that arrived at the scene did not have a doctor. Local police have opened up an investigation on charges of manslaughter and negligence.

Credit: Phoenix Galati Credit Phoenix Galati

A Romanian boys U16 game on Tuesday ended in a tragic way.

Serbian coach Dalibor Destanovic, who was the head of the Phoenix Galati Academy team, suddenly collapsed during the first quarter of the match against Stiinta Bucuresti in the Final Tournament of B Division.

"I turned him on his side, thinking it was a crisis. I saw that the tension was non-existent and I started resuscitation maneuvers until the ambulance crew came," the medical assistant at the venue said to Observator.

Spectators immediately called an ambulance. When it arrived, it didn't have a single doctor, only a medical assistant as well. The resuscitation maneuvers continued on the way to the hospital in Focsani. 30 minutes later, the coach was pronounced dead from a cardiac arrest.

"I called again to ask why they sent the ambulance without a doctor because, from the first call, I told them that he was unconscious. They answered the phone angrily, saying that they don't have a doctor and that's it," a witness told Observator.

"At the request, a resource with a medical assistant was allocated because the only emergency crew with a doctor on duty, at that time, was already allocated to another request," a representative of the local hospital said to Observator.

The local police have opened an investigation into the matter on charges of manslaughter and failure to take and comply with health and safety measures.

A former professional player, Destanovic has been coaching in the Phoenix youth program since 2016. "My job here is not only to show the children how Serbian children play basketball, but I also want to show the Romanian coaches here, from this club, how we practice in Serbia," he had said.

The match was not continued. The Phoenix team ended up winning the tournament on Wednesday.

A local report from Observator (advisory: graphic images):

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