Football coach Jacinto Licea hospitalized with hip fracture

In Mexico, 103-year-old Jacinto Licea, a celebrated football coach for the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), is receiving care at the Luis Guillermo Ibarra National Rehabilitation Institute after a fall fractured his hip.

Doctors are working to stabilize him and determine the best course of treatment given his age. Licea, who is also a physician, will participate in decisions regarding his care. The former coach initially experienced complications from the pain of the fracture, requiring stabilization and observation.

Medical staff are prioritizing strategies to avoid surgery, which would carry significant risks. Following news of his hospitalization, the IPN community asked for blood donations, and many former players, coaches, and staff members quickly offered their support. Licea recently met with former players, including captains from championship teams, and he was scheduled to receive the Cayetano Garza medal from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. Representatives from the university will now deliver the award to him in the hospital.

Licea has a long and distinguished career in Mexican football, having played and coached at the IPN for decades. He earned the 2010 Merit Sports Medal and entered the Mexican Sports Confederation Hall of Fame in 2015, and a stadium in Mexico City bears his name. He also recalled coaching in front of over 100,000 spectators at a game between IPN and UNAM in 1972.