The Olympic Games are always a compilation of some inspiring tales scripted by the athletes and an Australian hockey player has carved one such story even before the start of the Olympics. Matt Dawson, the Aussie hockey star, cut a part of his finger to participate in the Paris Games that are going to start on July 26.
The 30-year-old, who already has a silver to his name from Tokyo Games faced a daunting decision this week. The athlete then showed a top-notch level of commitment towards the sport in a courageous act.
Dawson fractured the ring finger on his right hand which raised doubts over his participation in the Paris Olympics. He had two options after the injury, one to allow the finger to heal naturally which would still have an uncertainty over his participation in the Paris Games and the other to amputate the part of the finger to participate in the event for sure. Dawson chose the latter showcasing his zeal to represent the country in the biggest sporting event around the globe.
"I didn’t have much time to make the decision. I made the decision then I called my wife, and she said, 'I don’t want you to make a rash decision',” he told Australian broadcaster Seven Network.
"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."
One of the strongest sides in the sport of field hockey, Australia will be eyeing to better their performance from the last edition where they won the silver medal. Australian men’s team is ranked at fourth place in the around the globe and they will start their campaign in the Olympics with the match against Argentina on July 27.
