Dar Es Salaam — THE long serving Secretary General of the Tanzania Amateur Handball Association (TAHA), who was also Secretary of the East and Central Africa Handball Federation (ECAHF), Sudi Omar, is dead.

Grief engulfed the East and Central African handball championship which opened here on Sunday and expected to wind tomorrow. He was staying at the Bwawani Hotel, where most of the players and officials for the championship have been booked.

ECAHF Chairman, Secilius Fusi said today that Sudi passed away on yesterday night in Zanzibar, where he was administering the ongoing regional club's championship.

"It is so sad, we had our normal evening meeting on Wednesday, from there everyone went for a rest, at almost midnight he complained of hypertension and he died on the way to the hospital," said Fusi.

He said high blood pressure which he was suffering for a long time, might be a cause for the death. He said the deceased body was ferried back to Dar es Salaam today ready for burial arrangements.

Fusi said burial arrangement would be decided by Sudi's family. The deceased body is being preserved at the Lugalo military hospital.

TAHA Secretary General, Nicholas Mihayo, said: "He did not make any complaint about his health earlier. He went back to the hotel to rest after the evening matches, before having his dinner. But later he complained he was not feeling okay , shortly before passing away.

Zanzibar Deputy Chief Minister, who is also minister responsible for sports in the isles, Ali Juma Shamuhuna, comforted the players and officials at the Zanzibar Port, asking them to be strong and patient, following Omary's sudden death.

However, the death of Omary did not affect the regional handball championship timetable, where JKT thrashed the Ethiopian defence team 28-22, before Kiwira Prisons of Tanzania beat SFB of Rwanda 33-28 in the men's matches played this morning.

The results for yesterday matches were as follows: Kiwira beat JKU 38-26; Cereals of Kenya beat Miti Ulaya of Pemba 26-02, while Defence of Ethiopia beat Nyuki 23- 22. Other matches saw Cereals beating Ruwey of DRC 33-31, while Black mamba of Kenya recorded a 24-20 victory over JKU 24-20 and KMKM lost 15-17 to SFB. In women's match Cereals beat JKT 26-12.