A Heartbreaking Letter from the Daughter of the Deceased Grandfather
Belén Rico expressed her deep regret and pain on Monday through a letter published on her social media, mourning the death of her father, Andrés. He was attacked during a handball match between BM Sanxenxo and BM Rasoeiro in Vilalonga, Sanxenxo. The victim was the grandfather of the referee who directed the meeting, which took place on December 15. What’s even more disturbing is that he was assaulted by a father of a Rasoeiro player, a club where his grandson also plays.
The incident occurred when Andrés was pushed, hitting his head against a step, and had to be quickly transferred to a hospital. Two months later, after a long and courageous fight, Andrés Rico sadly passed away. His daughter, Belén, poured her heart out in a letter, saying, “I curse the day that I couldn’t say no, damn the time I woke up happy believing it was another Sunday. Cursed the moment when our world stopped, damn that person who should not be there, damn the moment you stopped being you, damn push, damn the moment he crossed in our lives and made us lose control of them in a spiral of tears and pain. I only wish him to suffer like us.”
In her emotional letter, Belén made it clear that she doesn’t want “any forgiveness, any therapy, or counting justice” because they have taken away “what he wanted most.” She emphasized that none of those things are worth it because she can never recover what she lost, what was taken away from her. With a heavy heart, she said, “Your place is not here. Go away where we don’t have to cross again, where every time I see you or something of yours, I don’t have to remember these months of continuous anguish and suffering.”
Condolences from the Handball Community
Various clubs, including Frigorific del Morrazo, Swan, Anaitasuna, and BM Porriño, as well as the main territorial federations of the country and the Spanish Handball Federation, have expressed their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. The president of the Galician Handball Federation stated, “There is an alleged guilty and many responsible.” This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the handball community, highlighting the need for greater safety and respect in sports.