Australian field hockey player Mat Dawson made an ultimate scarifice to ensure that he would participate in the upcoming Paris Olympics, slated to take on July 26.
Dawson was doubtful about his participation in the mega quadrennial multi-sport event in Paris as he recently broke the ring finger on his right hand. The 30-year-old was part of the Australia hockey squad that won the Silver after losing to Belgium in a penalty shootout in the Final at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Since his right ring finger was broken, Matt Dawson required a lot of time to recover from it. However, Dawson decided to amputate his right ring finger so that he can play in the Paris Olympics.
After learning that he might be excluded from the Australian hockey squad for the Paris Olympics due to his broken finger, Dawson consulted a plastic surgeon. Upon the doctor's suggestion, he decided to amputate his right ring finger.
Speaking about the decision to amputate his ring finger, Matt Dawson said that he took this step not just to ensure his participation at the Paris Olympics but prioritizing his long-term health.
"I didn’t have much time to make the decision,” Dawson told the Seven Network before boarding the flight to Paris.
"I made the decision then I called my wife and she said, 'I don’t want you to make a rash decision.' But I guess I had all the information I needed to make a decision for not only playing in Paris but for life after and giving myself the best health." he added.
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Kookaburras coach applaud Dawson's brave
Australia men's hockey team coach Colin Batch lauded the Matt Dwanson decision to amputate his right ring finger as he believes that it was the best way of recovering from the injury.
"The best way of recovering from it was to just chop the end of the finger off." Batch said.
"So that’s what he decided to do. It’s not something a coach can decide for a player. Full marks to Matt. Obviously, he’s really committed to playing in Paris. I’m not sure I would have done it, but he’s done it, so great." he added.
Matt Dawson was part of the Australia Hockey team that participated in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
