Double-deck beds will no longer be used inside the quarters of the national team.
The Philippine Sports Commission plans to make such changes following the death of wushu junior athlete Rastafari Daraliay after falling from the second level of his double-deck bed in the wee hours of the morning last Saturday.
“No more double-deck beds. Lesson learned ito,” said PSC chairman William Ramirez of the government sports agency’s immediate plans following the incident, adding that single beds will most likely be placed in the dormitories.
The 11-year-old Daraliay fell off the top bunk of a double-decker bed at around 3 a.m. Saturday, while he and three other teammates in the national pool were resting at one of the dorms inside the Wushu Federation of the Philippines training center’s fourth-floor facilities at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
Daraliay has been sleeping over the quarters every Saturday night for the last three years, while undergoing training.
According to WFP secretary-general Julian Camacho, the kid was with three others when he went back to sleep inside the room, which had three double deckers.
An older teammate accompanied him in the lower bunk after he assured others that he was fine following his fall.
Since he was facing the wall while sleeping, nobody knew about his real condition until a staff member of the WFP went looking for Daraliay that morning for breakfast and saw that the kid was frothing in the mouth.
“We are shocked at the untimely death of one of the members of the wushu family,” said Camacho.
Both the PSC and the WFP will extend assistance on the medical and funeral expenses incurred by the family following Darialay’s death.
There were efforts to revive Darialay at a nearby clinic.
Later on, Darialay was rushed to the Manila Sanitarium, where he passed away at around 9 a.m.
The incident, according to Ramirez, has compelled the agency to fast track efforts to renovate the quarters of national athletes, bring in additional dorm personnel, security staff and nurses on duty.
Rastafari, a taolu athlete, has a sister named Zion, who has seen action in international meets twice.
Camacho said they agreed to let the kid sleep over because Rastafari was enthusiastic in training and upon the request of his parents.
Ramirez said support to the Darialay family will be extended following talks with the kid’s parents, Bobbit and Hazel.
His remains lie in state at the Sanctuario de San Vicente in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
