Last Sunday, the captain of the Wild Boar soccer team, 17 year old Duangphet “Dom” Promthep, collapsed in his room in England and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Unfortunately, he passed away on Tuesday after being put on a ventilator. The cause of his death is not known at this time.
According to the Thai Foreign Ministry, Duangphet was found unconscious in his room and immediately admitted to the intensive care unit of a nearby hospital. He was studying at the Brooke House College Football Academy in Leicester under a scholarship from the Zico Foundation and Sports Education Foundation.
The hospital advised Duangphet’s family of his condition, and they were urged to fly to the UK as soon as possible. However, despite their efforts, Duangphet’s condition continued to worsen, and he eventually passed away on Tuesday at 1.43 pm local time.
The Thai Embassy in London has been in close contact with the Zico Foundation, the Brooke House College Football Academy, and Duangphet’s family to make all necessary arrangements and provide assistance. The school has also informed the parents of all its students about the tragic news.
Duangphet’s passing is a great loss to the soccer community, as he was a talented athlete and leader.
In Thailand, a funeral was held at Wat Phra That Doi Wao in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district last night to “call his spirit back to Thailand”. Duangphet’s parents, relatives, as well as other teammates from the Wild Boar football team, attended the funeral rites.
17 year old “Dom” was one of the Wild Boar (Mu Pa) football team members who – along with their 24 year old coach – was trapped in Tham Luang Cave in 2018. The subsequent search mission, and eventual rescue, involved 100s of local and international rescue, medical and diving personnel, and captured the imagination of the world community.
Dom won a scholarship to study at Brooke House College, a football academy about 150 kilometres north of London, in August last year, and subsequently flew to England in September.
