MELBOURNE (ANP/AFP) – Australian hockey player Matt Dawson has sacrificed part of his finger to compete in the Olympic Games. The 30-year-old hockey player, a member of the team that won silver in Tokyo in 2021, recently broke the ring finger on his right hand and was therefore in danger of having to miss the Games.
Doctors advised him to put his finger in a splint or amputate part of the broken finger. He chose the latter option and underwent surgery last week.
“I made a very thoughtful decision with my plastic surgeon, not just for the chance to play in Paris, but for life afterwards,” Dawson told Channel Seven before boarding a flight to France. “The best option was to remove the tip of my finger. I think it's a bit crazy now and an exciting challenge, I think.”
'thanks to God'
Australian coach Colin Batch was full of admiration. “It's not something a coach can decide for a player,” he told the same channel. “Credit to Matt. He obviously did everything he could to play in Paris. I don't know if I would have done that.”
Australia lost to Belgium in the final in Tokyo. The Netherlands avoided both countries in the group stage. The Olympics start on July 26.
