Ex-national squash player Asyraf in need of funds for knee surgery

KUALA LUMPUR: Former national squash player Muhd Asyraf Azan is in need of financial aid after being hit by an unfortunate injury at the Austin South Squash Open 2021 in Texas, last month.

The 33-year-old had twisted his knee during his semifinals match against Timothy Brownell of the United States (US), which resulted in a completely torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and a partially torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus.

It was the third time the former world number 53 suffered injuries in his left knee. The first was two days before the National Championships in October 2020, followed by another blow in February this year during training at the Pyramid Squash Club in Tuckahoe, New York.

Muhd Asyraf, who is currently based in the US, said after consultations at the Austin Radiological Association, Texas, he plans to undergo surgery on Monday (June 7).

"The injury happened when I just had back my game at a high level, having trained a lot the past months. After the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and diagnostics, Dr John P Rodriguez, a surgeon who provides treatment for many Olympic athletes, said I can return to court after six months.

"I need around US$10,000 (about RM 41,000). The cost for surgery is around US$9,000, while another US$1,000 is for additional costs. So my friend Haidar Jafry created a GoFundMe page spontaneously for me to raise funds," he told Bernama.

He said so far, US$ 3,215 (about RM13,000) has been raised through the GoFundMe page and donations to his Maybank account. Aid to can be channelled through https://gofund.me/c6a55801 or his Maybank account, (164847016599 - Muhammad Asyraf Azan).

Muhd Asyraf, who started to play squash at the age of nine, has won a number of Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour titles, including the 2009 and 2012 NSC Series and 2012 Pro Squash Kansai in Japan.

-- BERNAMA