A few weeks ago, after Fiorentina's fallen captain Davide Astori passed on, the football world, as well as the world of sports at large, eulogized in unison the 31-years-old legend tremendously.
Besides that his club, Fiorentina, did one more thing that actually stood out from the rest- it promised to remit fully an improved contract that Astori had not even signed, to his daughter and partner. The Italian club, further, opted to retire jersey number 13, that Astori used to don during his playing days, in his honour.
In another latest gesture of honour towards Astori, the Viola decided to rename its training ground after Astori through its president Mario Cognigni who stated,
"We will dedicate our sports center to Davide because it was his home, it will be called Centro Sportivo Davide Astori (Davide Astori Sports Center) and it is only the first initiative that will keep alive the memory of a special person."
The former gesture by Fiorentina really left me thinking, more specifically, on how clubs, as well as sports' federations here in Kenya, treat their retired and fallen icons. Few are times when our own legends, let alone their welfares, cross our minds.
Many are times when these icons get admitted in hospitals, talk about football icon Joe Kadenge as well as the boxing superwoman Conjestina Achieng', yet they have clinch anxiously on the hope that some well-wisher will somehow clear their bills. It is surely laudable on the part of these well-wishers who mind about these legends.
Apparently, it is utterly shameful on the part of our clubs and the various sports federations who literally sit back and watch as these icons wallow in misery.
Let them benchmark and learn from their Italian friends who have mastered on how to handle these things eruditely. Our legends, retired or fallen, deserve better. Meanwhile, Congratulations ACF Fiorentina!
