Police probe Enke death

HANOVER – While police continue to investigate the apparent suicide of German national keeper Robert Enke, the country’s soccer federation called off training for Saturday’s friendly against Chile, putting the match in doubt.

On Tuesday evening, the 32-year-old Enke died when he was hit by an express train running between Hamburg and Bremen at a crossing near Hanover.Police said the Hanover 96 player’s car, parked metres away from the tracks, was unlocked and his wallet still inside, leaving them to believe that early indications ‘point to a suicide’.Hanover police said they would be providing more details on Enke’s death later on Wednesday while Hanover and the German national team in Bonn were also planning news conferences for later in the day.Enke won eight international caps and was in the running to play at the World Cup in South Africa next year. After years of battling injuries and personal issues, including the death of his two-year-old daughter due to a heart ailment in 2006, Enke finally appeared poised to grab the number one spot for the national side.He lived in the shadows of Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann for almost a decade and it was only after the latter’s international retirement last year that Enke emerged as a leading contender for the position despite earning his first national call up in 1999.He won his first cap in 2007. After playing for Borussia Moenchengladbach, Enke had several stints abroad, including at Benfica, Barcelona and Tenerife before returning to the Bundesliga in 2004.. – Nampa-Reuters