Durban - A Pheonix soccer player lost the tops of two fingers in a game at the Gateway centre’s indoor sport arena.
Nickyle Chetty, 17, was running down the flank when his left hand made contact with a piece of metal sticking out of the boards separating the courts.
His father, Jayce Chetty, said photos taken after the incident on Sunday had revealed a rivet was missing on the side panel, causing it to stick up.
The gap was supposed to have been sealed to prevent injuries but it was loose and created a sharp edge, he told the Daily News yesterday.
“The board had not been sealed properly,” he said.
“Two of my son’s fingers slid into the structure, cutting off both of the top ends of his fingers. He was cut on the left index and middle fingers.”
He said his son’s friends rushed him to Mount Edgecombe Hospital and he was transferred to Addington Hospital. On Thursday, he was transferred again to Wentworth Hospital, where he will undergo a skin graft and have one of his fingers amputated above the knuckle.
Nickyle said from his hospital bed: “I did not know what happened until I saw blood on the panels and felt a burning sensation on my fingers. I realised a piece of my finger was missing. The piece was stuck in the panel. This incident has left me traumatised.”
The Grade 11 Greenbury Secondary School pupil is anxious to be discharged so he can prepare for third term tests.
Gateway Sport Arena spokesman, Wesly Byrne, said there were disclaimer notices in place for any loss or injury.
He said they would be contacting the boy’s parents, but this was “in no way an acceptance of blame, but an offer to see if we can assist in any way”.
“We need to find out what injuries were caused. There are conflicting stories going around.
“We have had the rebound panels in place for five years; we have never had an incident before,” he said.
Sane Ndlovu, Gateway spokesman, said the boy’s parents had contacted them and they had been referred to Tiger-Turf, which leased the arena area.
Daily News