ISTANBUL: Turkish Süper Lig club Hatayspor's Ghanaian player Christian Atsu is confirmed dead in the devastating earthquake in the country's south, his club said on Saturday. Hatayaspor said that Ansu's body was discovered under rubble of a building that collapsed in the February 6 quake.
"The body of our footballer Christian Atsu, who lost his life under the rubble, has been sent to his homeland Ghana," Hatayaspor tweeted.
"We won't forget you, Atsu. May your place be in heaven, beautiful person. Our sorrow is indescribable. Rest in peace."
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) tweeted: "We are in deep sorrow to learn Christian Atsu's loss."
State broadcasters TRT quoted his Turkish agent, Murat Uzunmehmet, as saying that teams were retrieving Atsu's belongings and that the 31-year-old player's phone was found too.
Atsu's whereabouts had been a mystery for 12 straight days since the quake hit, after early unconfirmed reports that he had been rescued and was at a local hospital.
Atsu died under the rubble of the 250-flat Rönesans Residence in central Hatay. Its contractor was arrested last week in connection with the building's collapse.
Sports teams in the region have been hit hard by the quake with top division Gaziantep FK and Hatayspor having to withdraw from the league.
The quake has claimed almost 40,000 lives in Turkiye and thousands more in neighbouring Syria.
Broadcaster NTV reported on Saturday that Paris Saint-Germain superstars Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe would play a part in a TFF donation campaign for quake relief efforts.
Announced on Friday by TFF chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi, the "Shoulder to Shoulder Turkiye" campaign is to launch on March 1 with a televised event. It aims to raise funds for 10,000 container houses as temporary accommodation for those affected by the natural disaster.
NTV said that PSG would provide signed shirts from Messi, Neymar and Mbappe which are to be sold through auctions, with the income going to the TFF campaign. - dpa
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