Schmitt, in Stable Condition, Asks Us to Think of Puskás

INDEX
8 December 2006, 9:26

Pál Schmitt, who was taken to hospital Friday at dawn with chest pains, is now safe, and his condition has stabilised. The Chairman of the Hungarian Olympic Committee and President of the Ferenc Puskás Tribute Committee asks everyone to be at the "Nation's Farewell", the memorial ceremony for Ferenc Puskás.

As Thursday gave way to dawn on Friday morning, Pál Scmitt, Chairman of the Hungarian Olympic Committee and Vice-President of the Young Democrat (FIDESZ) Party, became ill. Friday at dawn, he was taken to hospital in Budapest with chest pains.

Puskás's Widow Appointed Him Leader

Ferenc Puskás, who passed away on 17 November, left behind a widow. She personally asked the sports leader to head the Ferenc Puskás Tribute Committee, the committee that organised Saturday's memorial ceremony and final farewell to the football legend.

Shortly after nine o'clock, Schmitt submitted the following statement to INDEX: "I would hereby like to say thank you to all of those who conveyed, through my family and colleagues, their concerns over the state of my health and their wishes for my speedy recovery."

Let Us Gather at the Nation's Farewell

His official statement concluded, "I respectfully ask of everyone, in these days of national mourning, to keep in mind the tribute ceremony, the "Nation's Farewell", which I coordinated myself. That is why I'm asking everyone to gather at Ferenc Puskás Stadium at 4 p.m. on Saturday, where the nation will bid farewell to Ferenc Puskás."

According to INDEX sources, Schmitt was working strenuously the past few days in order to bring the farewell to a perfect completion. His colleagues report that he showed no signs of illness. They believe, along with everyone else, that he will be released from the hospital this very Friday.

Source: Index