Body of young Jamaican footballer to be flown home

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Dashawn 'Taka" Stanton (File photo)
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By Latrishka Thomas

Plans are underway to repatriate the body of a young Jamaican footballer who died in Antigua last week.

Dashawn “Taka” Stanton had been living in Antigua for the past five years pursuing his football career, playing for teams including Villa and Old Road.

The 25-year-old’s tragic death from encephalitis devastated his friends, family and teammates.

General Secretary of the Villa Football Club, Neil Cochrane, told Observer that the team had “already come to agreement and raised the funds for him to be flown out before he passed but they were unable to secure beds in Jamaica for him”.

He explained that the severe effects of Covid-19 on Jamaica made it difficult for space to be found “at least in the areas that they were looking to get him”.

Nevertheless, Cochrane stated that his family had requested that his body be flown back to the land of wood and water.

“We are now … just waiting on the family to advise us and guide us along the way,” he said.

Stanton is remembered as a “fighter [and] a determined player” by the Old Road Football Club for which he played for three years.

Cochrane further revealed that Stanton gave the Villa club “two strong years” in 2018 and 2019.

He expressed condolences on behalf of the president and team who Cochrane said shed “a lot of tears” at his passing.

The young footballer, who also played for the Tivoli Gardens Football Club in Jamaica, reportedly had an infection around his brain which led to him being in a coma for several days.

It was said that he started to experience severe headaches on August 14.

He died less than two weeks later at Mount St John’s Medical Centre.

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