William Knibb pushing on

Western Bureau:

Despite still mourning the horrific death of a teammate earlier this week, the William Knibb Memorial High School Under-16 footballers have committed to continue playing in his memory.

Khamal Hall, the daCosta Cup team’s goalkeeper, was stabbed to death by another student during an altercation on the school compound on Monday.

William Knibb contested their third match of the ISSA Under-16 football competition yesterday. A game that was scheduled for Tuesday was postponed.

Coach Dwight Jeremiah said there is a resolve in his players to push on, despite having to deal with what is now a double dose of sorrow.

“The boys are taking it very hard. The situation is not in isolation as they were just grappling with last week’s loss of a former teammate from the 2019 season who left school last year. That compounded the situation, so it has not been easy. Some of them couldn’t come to school the next day, not even for the counselling session. They couldn’t face the school grounds that he made his last walk on,” Jeremiah said.

“I have been talking with them and they have decided that they would want to continue in his memory, playing the Under-16. They find that it’s harder when they are by themselves, so they are making that effort to be together as much as possible and help each other. I am trying to be strong for them,” he added.

Jeremiah noted that he appreciates the support he is getting from other coaches.

“On Thursday, I spoke at length with Neville Bell who would have lost a player, though under different circumstances. It would be similar in the sense of trying to be there for the players and help them come through it. He even offered to come down and have a word with them (players). It helps when you can talk with someone that has been through it,” Jeremiah said.

Members of the team are not the only ones who have to find a way to play through the grief, as his older brother and role model, David Swaby, was struggling to hold back tears when The Gleaner spoke to him on Thursday.

Swaby is a goalkeeper at Mt Pleasant Football Academy in the Jamaica Premier League.

“It’s hard for me to sleep and eat. It’s hard because he is a youth who was always trying to do the right thing. He follows in my footsteps, and that’s why he is a goalkeeper. They call him Swaby at William Knibb and his name is Hall. He wears my gears with my name,” Swaby said.

“We are really close. He was with my girlfriend and son in Duncans, even though I was not there and just left Sunday night for school. That’s the sort of relationship we had. He was loved by everyone,” he added.