http://www.sgforums.com/forums/3317/topics/367664
KICKING of the head is now only allowed for taekwondo contestants aged 18 and above, following the tragic death of a 17-year-old polytechnic student during a competition last July.
The Singapore Taekwondo Gymnasium (STG) issued a set of new guidelines on Sept 9, two months after the incident at Kampung Kembangan Community Centre where Mr Vincent Tan collapsed while he was sparring with his 15-year-old opponent.
Previously, the STG's competition guidelines and house rules allowed senior contestants of 15 years and above to head kick. Under the new guidelines, an ambulance will be on stand-by at the site of the competition to ferry the injured to hospital.
The July 5 competition was organised by Kampong Kembangan Community Centre and Greenville Residents' Committee. Mr Tan, a blue belt holder, was one of the contestants in the open category that day. His opponent was 15 and holding a higher grade of brown belt.
A video of the fight, shown at a coroner's inquiry into Mr Tan's death, showed Mr Tan kicking the body pad of his opponent, who kicked him back. That turning kick landed at Mr Tan's head guard.
Mr Tan was seen adjusting his head guard before wobbling and subsequently collapsing onto the ground. He was conveyed to Changi General Hospital and died four days later. A blood vessel in the neck had broken, causing a blood clot in the head and swelling his brain.
The inquiry continues.
-- ST
and like as if 18years old head will be thicker
Doc says case is 'very unique'
A DOCTOR who attended to a 17-year-old polytechnic student after he was injured at a taekwondo tournament has described the case as 'very unique'.
Dr Carol Lee Wei Hsin, Registrar of the emergency department of Changi General Hospital, said from her experience and reading literature, there were very few cases of a ruptured carotid artery at a sports event.
CT scans showed that Mr Vincent Tan Sze Hao's neck artery had ruptured, causing massive amount of blood to rush into the brain and collect. Despite an operation, Mr Tan died four days later after he was kicked by his 15-year-old opponent he was sparring with at Kampong Kembangan community centre last July 5.
The championship was jointly organised by Kampong Ubi-Kembangan Citizens Consultative Committee and the Greenville Residents' Committee, and supported by the Singapore Taekwondo Gymnasium. Mr Tan was a blue belt holder while the 15-year-old had a brown belt, one notch higher than his.
Dr Lee said from the history and CT scan findings, the outcome of the patient was unavoidable. His prognosis was very poor even on arrival at the emergency department, she added on the stand.
Asked by State Counsel Adrian Loo if it would have made a difference in the way she treated the patient if she were present at the scene, she said she did not think it would make any difference as there were many possible causes of the patient to collapse. She would still need equipment, medication support of the scan to help her reach the diagnosis.
State Coroner Victor Yeo is expected to adjourn verdict to another day.
-- ST