FAS: Injured Ikhsan wanted to stay

SINGAPORE - Ikhsan Fandi requested to stay with Singapore's Asian Youth Games (AYG) football team in China, despite breaking his wrist in a game last Thursday.

In a statement sent to The New Paper on Monday, a Football Association of Singapore (FAS) spokesman explained why the 14-year-old son of football icon Fandi Ahmad was not sent home immediately for possible surgery on his left wrist.

TNP reported on Monday that Fandi was "disappointed" at the way Ikhsan's injury was treated.

Ikhsan was attended to by a Team Singapore doctor after the 2-0 defeat by Kuwait, and subsequently taken to hospital for further checks.

The FAS spokesman said: "He (Ikhsan) was sent to hospital immediately, accompanied by the team manager and team doctor.

"At the same time, we contacted Ikhsan's mother to inform her of the injury, and added that we would update her on his status once he had been assessed by the doctor.

"While at the hospital, Ikhsan was subsequently confirmed as having a fracture of the lower arm.

"Doctors did a reduction (re-aligning the affected bone) on Ikhsan, and an X-ray was also done in order to determine the location of the fracture.

"We subsequently updated Ikhsan's mother on his injury status on the same night."

He added that the doctors who did the reduction on Ikhsan - including the Team Singapore doctor and doctors at the hospital in Nanjing - advised that an immediate operation was not necessary.

But the FAS proceeded to schedule an appointment for Ikhsan to see a specialist at Mount Elizabeth, and then have surgery at Mount Alvernia hospital, once he returned to Singapore with the team.

Singapore's AYG squad, the national Under-14 team, returned late on Monday night.

Surprised

A local medical specialist TNP spoke to, however, was surprised at the decision taken by the doctors in China.

The specialist, who declined to be named, said that in a case such as Ikhsan's where the fracture is serious, internal fixation is usually the immediate response rendered.

Internal fixation requires implants, typically metal plates and screws, to help guide the healing of the bones.

The FAS spokesman stressed that Ikhsan's mother, Wendy Jacobs, was kept up to date on the progress of the treatment rendered to the player throughout his time in Nanjing.

But, speaking to TNP on Monday night, Fandi was still not satisfied with the FAS' explanation.

He questioned why they allowed a young boy like Ikhsan to make the decision to stay on in Nanjing instead of returning home for proper treatment.

And Fandi again asked why it wasn't someone who was with the team in Nanjing who informed him of his son's injury.

FAS general secretary Winston Lee and technical director Slobodan Pavkovic were among the officials with the AYG team, who were coached by Takuma Koga and Stephen Ng.

But Fandi and Wendy only learnt of the injury from an FAS official in Singapore, who said he did not know the extent of Ikhsan's injury.

The former Lions captain said: "Right now, I just want to bring Ikhsan to the specialist, and see what the doctor says.

"Then we'll have a look at what we can do for him."

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