Al-Qalam 
By Al-Qalam Reporter
The KwaZulu-Natal cricket community is in mourning following the tragic drowning of 13-year-old cricket prodigy Amaan Khan and his uncle, Asif Khan, a metro police officer.
They both drowned at Umzumbe Beach in Hibberdene on the Kwa-Zulu Natal South Coast over the weekend.
Amaan, a rising star who played for the KZN Cricket Hub and the Dolphins Team, was caught in a rip current along with his uncle, who bravely tried to rescue him. Tragically, both were swept out to sea. While Asif Khan’s body was recovered, Amaan’s body is still missing. A search is currently underway to retrieve him. Asif Khan died a hero, sacrificing his life to save his nephew in what was an agonising and ultimately futile attempt to rescue the young cricketer.
The grief-stricken family is now dealing with the loss of two loved ones, with Amaan’s father, Saleem Adam, making an emotional appeal for help in finding his son’s body.
Those who knew Amaan said he was an exceptional talent in the world of cricket, known for his natural ability and determination. His coach, Elvis Govender, described him as “immensely talented” and said that he had been playing in his team for the past six years.
“He started his cricket career very early as a child. He started being really competitive about five years ago and he was a natural cricketer,” Govender said.
He said Amaan’s journey through the sport was a testament to his hard work and skill.
“He was a star player for the KZN Cricket Hub’s under-13 team, Amaan’s talent shone through, especially in the context of the Hub’s focus on empowering young cricketers from impoverished communities, such as Chatsworth and Phoenix. These areas often lack the resources needed to nurture young athletes, but Amaan’s potential was undeniable,” said Govender.
Govender said he had big plans for Amaan’s future, and he’s devastated that these plans won’t come to fruition.
“I was negotiating with the Durban High School to get him in there on a bursary so that he could get into a good cricketing school. He was just so talented and played at an advanced level,” said Govender. He said Amaan’s talent was also recognised well beyond his age group.
“Despite being only 13 years old, he was promoted to the under-19 team last year for the South African Schools Under-20 tournament. We played against a team in uMlazi and he was the man of the match. He achieved this at just 13 years old. His potential was extraordinary,” said Govender.
He said the cricketing world is now left to mourn what could have been, with Govender and the KZN Cricket Hub deeply affected by the loss. “We are all hoping for his body to be found. I had my first training session since this incident with my juniors and I can’t explain how deeply affected all the kids are by Amaan’s passing,” said Govender.
Amaan’s dad, Saleem Adam, spoke to Al-Qalam about how the tragedy unfolded.
He said the family had been enjoying the day together at the beach when Amaan was caught by the rip current. Despite the best efforts of his uncle Asif, who bravely went into the water to try to save him, both were overcome by the treacherous conditions.
“It was so traumatising to watch this happen to my son. He has three siblings and they are all not coping with this loss. It’s just too much for us to deal with. Amaan’s uncle, Asif, tried to save him. I was not close enough to assist them at the time, and by the time I got to them, it was too late. Asif got into great difficulty while trying to save my son. We managed to pull him out and despite all our efforts to resuscitate him, he passed on,” said Adam.
Asif Khan’s sacrifice has been recognised by the Metro Police, who described him as a “dedicated officer” and a “hero.”
The department expressed their devastation at the loss of one of their own.
Now, as the family grapples with the profound loss, Adam is making an urgent appeal for help in finding Amaan’s body.
“We need support and for volunteers to help with the search. We are calling on people who have access to boats and who are good swimmers to help find Amaan’s body. We have received so much moral support from the community so far and we are grateful for this. The big number of people that just came home to see us is amazing. But now, we can’t rest until Amaan’s body is found. We are appealing for any help we could get to find him,” said Adam.
