Togo attack brought back horrible memories: Broad

The attack on Togo's football team in Angola brought back "horrible memories" for last year's Lahore terror strike survivor ICC match referee Chris Broad, who feels sportspersons are becoming soft targets for militant outfits.

The disturbing images of Togo's traumatised footballers, who were sprayed with bullets on their way to participate in the African Nations Cup in Angola, left the former English cricketer jolted.

"What happened in Cabinda is a huge tragedy and I feel for all the guys on that Togo bus. I empathise with Emmanuel Adebayor and the others, I know what they're going through. It's brought back such horrible memories," Broad said.

Broad was part of a convoy, that also included the Sri Lankan cricket team, travelling to a Test match in Lahore before being by terrorists.

The attack left eight people dead and nine injured, including seven cricketers and umpire Ahsan Raza.

Togo's footballers came under a similar attack in the Angolan city of Cabinda and immediately pulled out of the African Nations Cup. Broad said he empathises with Togo's players.

"When I heard Adebayor on the radio talking about lying on the floor of the bus, with gunmen shooting, not knowing what's going on, it was exactly what happened with us. I understand the players wanting to come home. The first thing we wanted to do was get out of Lahore," he was quoted as saying by The Times.

"As Adebayor said, he's not ready to die for his sport. Football -- like cricket -- is a game and not worth risking your life for," Broad said.

He said the administrators should take security of touring athletes very seriously.

"In cricket, since the Lahore attack, there has been much more attention paid to security and I now feel significantly safer. Administrators have to take attacks on sportsmen very seriously and not wait for things to happen before they act.

"Clearly the terrorists have decided sports teams and their officials are soft targets and attacks could happen again," Broad added.