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Football club mourns loss of 'pillar' in Kieth Absalon

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/06/06/football.jpg"/><figcaption>FEU&#x27;s Kieth Absalon. Photo by Mia Montayre/UAAP Media</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- Kieth Absalon dreamt of becoming a professional football player and represent the Philippines as a member of the Azkals.He was a player with real quality, according to his coach, and had every chance to achieve those dreams. He already took a step towards one day playing for the senior team, having been called up to the youth squad for the AFF Under-19 Championship in 2018.But Absalon won&#x27;t get a chance to fulfill his goals, as the football player was killed in an IED blast in his hometown of Masbate City last Sunday.He was only 21 years old.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/06/21/feu-football-kieth-absalon-passes-away">READ: Up-and-coming footballer Kieth Absalon passes away at 21</a></li></ul>&quot;&#x27;Yung nararamdaman ko talaga is mabigat,&quot; said Marvin Dava, who coached Absalon in Malaya FC as well as in Far Eastern University (FEU), where he is an assistant.&quot;Kasi, aside from being a player, si Kieth, parang he&#x27;s like a brother to me. So noong time na nalaman ko, parang, una hindi ako makapinawala, and then at the same time, parang ano nang mangyayari, &#x27;yung mga dreams niya?&quot; he said.Dava&#x27;s thoughts went to Absalon&#x27;s younger brother, Karl, who plays for the FEU boys team. Both players had such high hopes for their future in the sport, said the coach.&quot;Paano na &#x27;yung mga dreams nila? &#x27;Yung dreams ni Kieth?&quot; he lamented.Absalon, a forward, showed immediate promise for the FEU boys team, winning UAAP Most Valuable Player honors in Season 78. In Season 82, he cracked the starting XI of the men&#x27;s team, but their campaign was cut short when the tournament was cancelled because of COVID-19.As it turned out, it would be Absalon&#x27;s last official competition.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/07/21/uaap-mourns-death-of-feu-footballer-kieth-absalon">READ: UAAP mourns death of FEU footballer Kieth Absalon</a></li></ul>Dava called Absalon the &quot;pillar&quot; of his Malaya FC team, and a crucial player for the Tamaraws, one of the powerhouse programs in UAAP football.&quot;Both sa Malaya and sa FEU, malaking kawalan talaga si Kieth,&quot; he said.&quot;&#x27;Yung talent niya, very talented talaga. I know, kung hindi lang sana nangyari &#x27;yun, malamang, malayo &#x27;yung mararating ni Kieth,&quot; Dava also said.Asked how far Absalon could have gone as an athlete, Dava said: &quot;Probably, magiging Azkals sana. And also, I&#x27;m sure he will become a professional player.&quot;&quot;Kasi &#x27;yung quality niya sir is from one to 10, I think nine or 10, for his age. So he&#x27;s really a quality player.&quot;The PFF had offered to give financial assistance to Absalon&#x27;s family, who also lost another member in Nolven, a cousin of Kieth. They were riding their bikes along Purok 4, Barangay Anas in Masbate City when the blast happened around 6:45 a.m. Sunday.Also injured in the incident is Nolven&#x27;s son, 16-year-old Chrisbin Daniel.The Absalon family is calling for justice, as they believe that Kieth and Nolven didn&#x27;t perish in the IED blast; rather, they say that they were shot by suspected members of the New People&#x27;s Army.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/07/21/family-of-footballer-kieth-absalon-cries-for-justice-believes-victims-were-also-shot">READ: Family of footballer Kieth Absalon cries for justice, believes victims were also shot</a></li></ul>As investigations continue into the incident, what&#x27;s certain is that Philippine football lost someone who could have played a part in its future.&quot;Tahimik lang siya,&quot; Dava said of Absalon. &quot;Tahimik siya, smiley, ma-respeto.&quot;&quot;Pero &#x27;pag nasa game siya, halimaw siya,&quot; he added. &quot;Ang galing talaga. Magaling na bata. Magaling talaga.&quot; -- From a report by Zandro Ochona, ABS-CBN News.<div> RELATED VIDEO:</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1700715" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Kieth Absalon dreamt of becoming a professional football player and of representing the Philippines as a member of the Azkals.

Kieth Absalon dreamt of becoming a professional football player and of representing the Philippines as a member of the Azkals.