Black Country-based kabaddi player and father shot dead at tournament in India
Tributes have been paid to a much-respected kabaddi player who lived in the Black Country after he was shot dead during a visit to India.
Sandeep Singh Sandhu was shot up to 10 times as he watched a match in Mallian Khurd, outside Jalandhar, in Punjab, on Monday.
Footage shown on local media in India claims to show the scene moments after Mr Sandhu was shot, with the crowd at the kabaddi match rushing towards the area where he was sat.
The 38-year-old father of three boys was a respected player of the South Asian sport, captaining the British national team and excelling in competitions across the country as a stopper.
The basic rules of Kabaddi are simple: two teams of seven players each face off in a large square arena for two halves of twenty minutes each.
Players from each team take turns running across the centre line to the other team's half of the court, tagging members of the other team, and running back.
He was born in India, but had lived in the United Kingdom for years, living in West Bromwich and his family running a fish and chip shop in Dudley called Crispy Cod.
The shop was closed on Tuesday, with a note saying that several relatives, including his twin brother, were flying out to India.
Ashok Das, president of the England Kabaddi Association, said he had been told that three men had got out of a car and fired at Mr Sandhu from a short distance before leaving the scene.
He paid tribute to Mr Sandhu, calling him a nice guy and a gentleman and describing him as a legend of the sport.
He said: "I think everybody is sad, he was the best player.
"Any major event or tournament, you name it, he would play in it, including five world cups in Punjab, hosted by the Punjab government."
Wolverhampton Wrestling Club head coach Ranjit Singh, who had met Mr Sandhu at several events involving both kabaddi and wrestling, described him as a role model and ambassador for the sport.
He said: "First and foremost, he was a great sportsman and gave a lot to kabaddi itself, bringing in the youth and expanding the sport to new levels.
"He was also a brilliant player and one of the world's best and, similar to what we do at our club, he gave a lot back to the community and was a role model as he inspired youngsters to take up the sport and achieve high levels.
"It's totally shocking to hear about his death as he'd gone to India as part of his usual routine and there was nothing to make you think this would happen, so it's a huge shock for the sporting world and my heart goes out to his family."
Dudley Kabaddi Club chairman and Birmingham Kabaddi Club director Mohammed Aurangzeb said he had heard about what had happened and was still taking in the news.
He said: "I'm really upset about what has happened and it really shouldn't be happening to these types of players as they are stars and I hope the Indian government and the authorities will take a strong stand to protect them.
"I can't begin to describe how much of a loss this is as these types of players don't come around overnight and he was a huge hero to the public, so it is a huge loss to us in the sport and in life."
