‘WE WERE TOLD FUTSAL GAME WOULD STOP IF IT RAINED’
Scheduled game started despite heavy rain, says Sabah futsal player struck by lightning
FUTSAL players participating in the nationallevel Liga Sukan Untuk Semua (LiSUS) in Bukit Jalil on Saturday were earlier told that matches would be stopped in case of bad weather.
However, on the match day, they were forced to brave the heavy rain as a scheduled game kicked off at 4pm.
Abdul Wahid Habib Abdullah, 25, a player from Sri Aman, Tawau, Sabah, said his team was gearing up for a match with players from Terengganu when he was struck by lightning.
“We were just about to start the match after two other teams finished theirs.
“It was already raining during the earlier game.
“It happened so fast. I felt numb and froze for a while before falling. Some friends came to my rescue,” he said at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre here yesterday.
Wahid, one of three futsal players who were struck by lightning yesterday, is in stable condition.
He said the team manager attended a meeting with representatives from the Youth and Sports Ministry the night before the match.
“After he returned from the meeting, he told us that due to the weather, the games would stop if it rained heavily.
“So I was puzzled when the referee decided that we should start the match despite the rain,” said Wahid, a defender.
He was grateful that he was recovering well and was stable.
“The doctor says I can return home once my blood pressure stabilises.
“I feel sad for our goalkeeper, Faizal Alli, who is still unconscious.”