Paris, Dec 18 (AFP/APP): From the tragic death of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala to motor racing legend Niki Lauda and South Africa’s 1995 Rugby World Cup champion Chester Williams, AFP Sport looks at some of the notable sporting figures who passed away in 2019: Emiliano Sala, 28 — The Argentine footballer was killed on January 21 when the plane he was in crashed into the English Channel. He was on his way to join Cardiff after they agreed a club record 17 million-euro transfer fee with Nantes. Niki Lauda, 70 — Austria’s three-time Formula One world champion died on May 20, eight months after a lung transplant. Lauda suffered severe burns on his face and hands, and inhaled toxic fumes which damaged his lungs when his vehicle burst into flames at the Nurburgring in 1976. Despite being given the last rites in hospital he made an almost miraculous recovery to race again just six weeks later still bandaged and in intense pain. Jose Antonio Reyes, 35 — The former Spain international was killed in a car crash on June 1 on the main road from Sevilla to Utrera. Reyes was part of Arsenal’s unbeaten ‘Invincibles’ who won the 2003-04 Premier … Continue reading Sports deaths in 2019