Basketball legend Leydis Oquendo dies after surgery

• Leydis Oquendo dies from complications after surgery.
• People mourn the basketball legend’s death.
• She had surgery in El Salvador.

The sports world is in mourning over the untimely death of basketball legend Leydis Oquendo, due to a «postoperative pulmonary thrombosis». In light of the the sad news, people immediately offered condolences and messages of support.

«This news fills us with pain and we offer our deepest condolences to all her family and friends, and to all those people who knew how to love this extraordinary Cuban athlete in life,» Dalia Henry, president of the Cuban Basketball Federation, told the Latin Press.

How did Leydis Oquendo die?

The 40-year-old player died in El Salvador due to complications after to surgery to remove a fibroid, according to the outlet. Leydis Oquendo’s friend and former teammate sent a heartbreaking message after the news of her death.

«I still don’t believe this news because she was so young and it was so soon,» Marlene Cepeda declared, after noting that she was not ready for the «difficult blow» of Leydis Oquendo’s death. The outstanding athlete was a member of national pre-selections for 16 years, according to Jit.

Leydis Oquendo was famous for her talent

In addition, she participated in the world championships in Brazil 2006 and Turkey 2014. In 2001, Leydis Oquendo achieved «glory» by winning sixth place in the junior world championships, reported Jit. She not only stood out in his country, but also in the Dominican Republic and Argentina.

The Santa Tecla Basketball team issued a statement about the athlete, who was a former player on the senior women’s team. “We deeply regret the death of Leydis Oquendo Valdés, a former Cuban player on our senior women’s team,” they tweeted.

“We offer our sincere condolences”

“We are extremely grateful for her contribution and legacy in national basketball. We join her family in prayer,” the team wrote in the brief Twitter message, along wit a photograph of the player wearing her uniform with the number 19.

“Player who wore our team colors in the 2021 Season of the Women’s Major League of Basketball. We express the most sincere condolences to her family, begging the Lord for peace and comfort for such an irreparable loss,” reads the message.

What is a fibroid?

Leydis Oquendo underwent surgery for a fibroid, which is defined by the Office of the Undersecretary of Health (OASH) as «muscular tumors that grow in the walls of the uterus» and that in most cases are usually benign.

Also, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, «Not all women with fibroids have symptoms.» However, those who do suffer from symptoms find it difficult to live with them. “Some feel pain and have a heavy flow of menstrual bleeding,” the OASH reported.