Sporting sign tsunami survivor, who spent 21 days stranded in swamp

ByBen Snowball

Updated 02/07/2015 at 15:20 GMT

Sporting Lisbon have signed tsunami survivor Martunis to their youth academy, 11 years after the Indian Ocean disaster left him stranded in a swamp for 21 days.

Martunis, then aged seven, lost his mother and two siblings in the tragedy that saw 230,000 people in 14 countries killed in December 2004.

The youngster was playing football near his home in Banda Aceh, Indonesia when the wave struck, with Martunis becoming separated from his family and having to survive on puddle water and washed up pot noodles.

He was found by Sky News journalists - dehydrated and malnourished - with his story capturing attention back in Portugal after he was pictured wearing their national football colours.

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The story of his ordeal reached Cristiano Ronaldo, who has since met with Martunis on a few occasions and helped him raise money for his family home to be rebuilt.

Martunis and Cristiano Ronaldo

Image credit: Eurosport

Now aged 17, he has fulfilled his dream of becoming a footballer – joining an academy that helped develop Ronaldo and Luis Figo.

“It's great to be here, this club makes my dream possible,” he said at his presentation. “I am incredibly excited about this opportunity. Viva Sporting!”

Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho added: “Martunis will work at the academy. We will work with him also in his development as a human being and as a man.”

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