"DON'T worry, Dad, I won't let in any goals today." These were the last words a father heard from his sports-mad nine-year-old son before the boy collapsed and died at his Hampshire school.

Anuj Panchmatia, pictured above with his dad, Manoj, was warming up for an after-school football match when he apparently suffered an asthma attack.

Staff and the matron at the private Stroud School in Romsey fought to revive him but he died after being taken to Southampton General Hospital, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Daily Echo.

Anuj's father and mother, Namrata Panchmatia, today told the Daily Echo how their son's death had devastated the family.

They described how Anuj, who also left a 13-year-old sister Aarti, had been a happy-go-lucky little boy.

Mrs Panchmatia said: "He was always on the go. Any sport you can think of he would try it out. They called him a ray of sunshine at nursery school. He was such a happy little boy with a wicked sense of humour."

Mr Panchmatia, who runs a recruitment consultancy business, said: "He was really into his football and cricket. He was preparing to play for his school as the goalkeeper on the team. He was very excited about it.

"I remember the last thing he said to me was 'Don't worry dad, I won't let any goals in today.'"

An avid cricket fan, Anuj was looking forward to watching the England team play Sri Lanka yesterday at the Rose Bowl with his father and other members of his family, who live in Chandler's Ford.

Mr Panchmatia added: "He had his England flag all ready to go with him and was very much looking forward to watching his team play.

"He was hugely into cricket as well as being a Southampton football fan."

He described how Anuj, a former pupil at Highfield Primary School in Southampton, was also a big Harry Potter fan and had purposely chosen a rounded pair of glasses to match those sported by the fictional young wizard.

Anuj, who also played the drums and keyboard, had suffered from asthma and a nut allergy since the age of three.

According to his family, his asthma condition was only very mild and controlled by a low dose of medication administered through his inhaler.

The cause of Anuj's death was thought to be asthma but an initial post-mortem examination has proved inconclusive. A second will be carried out next week.

It means Anuj's parents have had to postpone the funeral, which had been planned for Tuesday.

Mr Panchmatia, 43, said: "I got the call to say he had suffered an asthma attack and my first thought was that I would have to go and pick him up from school. But then they told me that the ambulance was there taking him to hospital.

"I again drove up thinking he would be OK and that he may have to spend a couple of nights there, but not this, never this.

"It was just so unexpected, not on the cards at all. If he had been suffering from a terminal illness for example, then we would have been prepared but this is such a terrible shock."

He thanked staff at Stroud School, where Anuj had been a pupil for just over a year.

He said: "They did everything they could have done. The matron called the ambulance as soon as she felt Anuj's heart beating fast.

"He was given every chance but it was not meant to be.

"It is not entirely clear whether it was his asthma, because it was so mild, or his allergy," said Mr Panchmatia.

Mrs Panchmatia, 38, said: "I think we need to understand more about asthma. It is something that we thought was under control but to lose him like that has been dreadful for us."

Alastair Dodds, head teacher at Stroud School, said: "Anuj was a much-loved member of our community with a warm cheerful manner which won him many friends during his year with us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."