In the wake of two recent deaths within their basketball family, British Basketball League side, the Manchester Giants will all undergo cardio screening.
A date has been set for the players of the British Basketball League club to visit at the Diagnostic Healthcare clinic in Altrincham, while testing will also available to other sportspeople at a reduced cost.
The move comes after the deaths in recent years of Manchester players Steve Brown and Juma Ngqobongwana, who were both close to the club.
Former Giants player Phil Wait also recently underwent successful heart surgery.
“Every week 12 people under the age of 35 die unexpectedly from a heart condition they didn’t know they had. This can be caused by a condition called Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS),” Julie Burnage of the clinic said.
“These young people are not professional athletes, they are ordinary people whose names never make the news and whose families suffer the horror of losing a loved one in a sudden, unexpected and shocking way.
“Diagnostic Healthcare has teamed up with the Giants to offer subsidised heart screening to young people aged between 14 and 35.
“Our tests can detect the majority of the cardiac abnormalities which are most likely to affect young people.”
Giants CEO John Dwan added: “The deaths of Steve and Juma were a tragedy for their families and friends.
“We want to highlight this issue, make sure our players are safe and encourage people to be screened too.”
