Three-time kickboxing world champion Frederic Sinistra died on December 15 following complications from Covid. The news shook Belgium also because the athlete had always denied the existence of the coronavirus.
Sinistra was a monument in the international world of martial arts, so much so that he earned the definition of “the strongest man in Belgium”. A force that, however, did not defend it from Covid and its denial. The Undertaker, his nickname, was hospitalized at the end of November with a coronavirus infection, which mainly affected the lungs. Even in the face of the disease, however, he has always refused to pronounce the words Covid and coronavis.
Today the Belgian media report that he was discharged from the hospital, but died a few days later from the effects of the infection. On December 13, Sinistra wrote on Facebook: «Thank you for your support. I’m recovering home, as it should be. I’ll come back a thousand times stronger », while on November 29 on Instagram he posted a selfie of him attached to a breathing machine, combined with a message of thanks for the support he received from fans.
Sinistra believed that his relatively young age, he was 41, and his physical condition would provide him with sufficient protection against any symptoms of Covid-19. Unfortunately for him and his loved ones this was not the case and death came from respiratory problems. It was the coach who persuaded him to be hospitalized: “I told him I wouldn’t have trained him again if he hadn’t gone to the hospital.” Even this was not enough, the man preferred to continue to be treated at home and the tragic conclusion was inevitable.
Despite what happened, the wife continues to deny the existence of the disease. “My husband didn’t die of Covid. He would never have accepted that what happened to him is used to instill fear », these are his words on Instagram.