A tragedy as Komu dies after five days in coma

By HENRY MORABANG
THE soccer fraternity in Port Moresby is in mourning following the death of Papua New Guinea and Mungkas FC midfielder Adrian Komu, who died yesterday morning at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Late Komu succumbed to serious injuries to his head sustained after being attacked by bystanders at East Boroko in NCD last Saturday evening.
He was among three other passengers of a car who were attacked and never regained consciousness.
The other two, Mathew Charles and Septeen Tsuga, are still in intensive care, fighting for their lives. 
From the remote Giri area in Bogia district, Madang, the stocky soccer midfielder started his career out of his Newtown team in the Madang Soccer Association.
A foundation member of Madang Fox football club in the inaugural National Soccer League season in 2006, Komu then had a nomadic footballing life moving between clubs in Port Moresby and Lae.
The 26-year-old played for Eastern Star and then later with MMJV Morobe United until he was asked to help Mungkas FC in their inaugural Super League campaign this year.
A shy player, Komu preferred to let his actions to speak and was always a valuable acquisition for any team.
Though he missed out on the 2011 Pacific Games team in Noumea, New Caledonia, Komu never gave up and continued to win admiration from his peers and the game’s administrators for his whole-hearted efforts.
His slow motion and slick passes in the midfield and ability to link well with his defenders and front men will be sadly missed by his Mungkas teammates.
Komu came to prominence in 2004.
He was one of the first exciting midfielders hand-picked by the former PNG Football Association technical chief Kisakiu Posman for the Under-17 OFC qualifier in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Former national coach Steve Cain was in charge of the PNG national team at the time.
After his two-week stint in Erakor Island Resort where the team was staying for Vanuatu tournament, Komu never looked back.
He was playing in the shadows of Chique Posman and Reginald Davani at the youth level but then he took over until the emergence of David Muta.
With the introduction of National Soccer League (NSL), Komu was one of the founding players selected by coach Bob Morris to add experience to the team.
Other players include Godfrey Baniau (Hekari United FC) and Hondo Bart (former PNG striker)
After spending two years with Madang Fox, he was one of the players in high demand by other franchises in Port Moresby and Lae.
Port Moresby Soccer Association president Russel Tsuga confirmed the death yesterday morning, but attempts to contact Mungkas FC club president were unsuccessful.
Tsuga, who also runs Mungkas FC, only said that the club was doing everything to repatriate his body back to Madang.