Meghalaya footballer Ibaihun Kurbah passes away at 20 after battle with kidney failure

Meghalaya lost one of its most promising young athletes as 20-year-old footballer Ibaihun Kurbah, fondly known as Iba, succumbed to kidney failure at a hospital in Guwahati early on Monday.

Hailing from Mairang in Eastern West Khasi Hills, Kurbah had represented Meghalaya in All India Football Federation (AIFF) tournaments and was celebrated for her speed, determination, and goalkeeping skills. Before football, she had made her mark as a state-level champion runner.

Her sporting journey was cut short earlier this year after she was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. Despite undergoing dialysis twice a week and numerous appeals for a transplant donor, her condition worsened. Civil society groups, friends, and well-wishers had rallied around her with support for treatment, but their collective efforts could not save the young athlete.

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The Meghalaya Football Association expressed grief, stating, “The Meghalaya Football Association mourns the untimely passing of Ibaihun Kurbah, a promising young goalkeeper who represented the state with pride. Her loss is a deep blow to the sporting community. We stand with her family and pray for her eternal peace.”

Tributes have poured in from across the sporting fraternity, remembering Kurbah as a fighter both on and off the field. Her passing leaves a void in Meghalaya’s sporting landscape and in the hearts of those who saw her as a beacon of talent and determination.