Devendra Kumar
The body of Williams Alexander Tapon, a 24-year-old footballer from Buenos Aires, was found with a gunshot wound to his head, mere hours after he was charged with attempted homicide for assaulting a referee during a match. The incident, which was captured on footage and went viral on social media, has left the sports world in shock. Tapon’s attack on referee Cristian Ariel Paniagua was brutal, with the player knocking him down with a punch and kicking him in the head, leaving him unconscious.
The match, which took place on Saturday, was part of an amateur tournament between Tapon’s team, La Cortada, and El Rejunte. The referee was taken to the hospital in the suburb of Avellaneda, where he was treated for his injuries. Following the victim’s complaint, Avellaneda prosecutors charged Tapon with “aggravated attempted homicide with premeditation in the context of a sporting event”, a crime that carries a penalty of 10 to 15 years in prison.
In an audio message that Tapon sent to his widow, Agustina, he seemed to suggest that he had planned to end his life, saying “I prefer that everyone suffer at once rather than seeing me suffer every day in prison” and “Take care of our children”. Agustina, who is the mother of Tapon’s two young children, a two-year-old and a seven-month-old, confirmed that the audio message was the last conversation she had with him.
Tapon’s explanation for his actions was that he was angry with the referee, who he claimed made all the calls in favor of the opposing team. In an interview he gave to Canal 9 just hours before his death, Tapon admitted that he had lost control and reacted badly to the referee’s decisions. “The truth is that I was in a bad state, I admit it. It was those five minutes when I couldn’t control myself, and I reacted that way toward the referee,” he said.
Tapon’s death has sparked debate about the severity of his punishment and the importance of sportsmanship in football. While he was charged with attempted homicide, it remains unclear whether his actions were premeditated or whether he was driven by a momentary lapse in judgment. His death also raises questions about the mental health and well-being of sports participants, particularly those who are under pressure to perform at a high level.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Tapon’s death, his tragic story serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from impulsive and violent behavior. As the sports world continues to grapple with the fallout from this incident, it is clear that the importance of respect, sportsmanship, and empathy must be emphasized in order to promote a safer and more respectful environment for all involved.