Australian athlete underwent surgery to amputate his finger in order to play in the upcoming Olympics in Paris. The player made a conscious decision alongside his plastic surgeon, not only for the opportunity to compete in Paris, but also for his life after the games. This statement was made during an interview with Australian channel ‘Channel Seven’ as the team departed for France.
“The best option was to remove the top part of the finger. It’s a small change at the moment and an exciting challenge, I think,” he added.
The Australian national team coach, Colin Batch, emphasized that this was an incredible display of commitment. “It’s not something a coach can decide for a player,” he said.
“All credit to Matt. Clearly, he is truly committed to playing in Paris. I’m not sure if I would have done the same, but he did,” Batch further commented.
Australia, who lost the final in Tokyo on penalties to Belgium, will kick off their campaign in Paris against Argentina, the Olympic champions from the Rio 2016 Games, on July 27.
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