South Sudanese basketball player Alier Riak killed in Australia
He was stabbed multiple times with his older brother, Kuol, on the back of his upper shoulders and rushed to a nearby hospital. But he did not survive it. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
‘‘Warwick Senators are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Alier Riak’’ the club announced.”
It added: ‘‘Alier was a Senator junior and talented NBL1 player who could always be on the court working on his game and off the court- a kind, genuine man, a role model for many, who will be deeply missed.”
‘‘We extend our sincere condolences and sympathy to his family, friends, and community. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Alier Riak had heard the gunshots, saw the dead corpses scattered over the streets, felt terror, and experienced the tremendous ache of actual hunger, yet he was able to escape all of this. But the unthinkable occurred to Alier Riak on Saturday, March 12, after his birthday celebration in Melbourne.
He chose to celebrate it with his elder brother Kuol and younger brother Ajak, who is also a soccer player on contract with Melbourne’s national soccer league, as well as his closest buddy and a cousin sister.
On the same day, on Saturday, March 12, his elder brother flew from Perth to Melbourne to celebrate Alier’s birthday before departing for Darwin on Tuesday, March 15.
Alier, his two brothers, a friend, and a cousin planned to celebrate on Saturday night which turned out to be a terrible birthday night.
According to information gathered by NCMP, Alier was attacked by a group of 20 or more attackers on Bourke Street in Dockland’s CBD. He was repeatedly stabbed and his elder brother Kuol was also stabbed in the upper shoulder area.
They were rushed to a hospital, but Alier could not be rescued due to severe bleeding. Kuol had three stab wounds on his back.
Riak, a 6-foot-9 sophomoric forward for the Southeastern Community College men’s basketball team, also played at Winona State University-NCAA college basketball during his university education at Winona State University. He was a kid when his family was forced to evacuate South Sudan due to the violence in 2005. His family fled the slaughter and horrors perpetrated on their relatives and neighbours, only to find themselves in a filthy, overcrowded refugee camp in Kenya, where the stench of human waste was intolerable.
Riak’s family was among the lucky few who were able to flee what had become a living nightmare by relocating to Western Australia.
Alier recently signed his first NBL contract with Darwin Basketball Association (DBA), with his first game season set to begin in April. Why would a brother be assassinated on his birthday? The community must assist the police in locating the perpetrators.
Alier was just 23 years old when drug thugs abruptly ended his industrious life.
