Damar Hamlin, player for the buffalo bills, collapsed in the middle of the game that his team was playing against the cincinnati flares, in the NFL, and is in critical condition after being treated on the pitch.
After knocking down Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, Hamlin fell to the ground. Immediately, a stretcher and an ambulance entered the field of play, while the player received medical attention.
#Sports | Terrible time in the NFL. During the game between Buffalo and Cincinnati, Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. He had to be resuscitated on the pitch. He was transferred to a hospital where he is intubated in intensive care.pic.twitter.com/yeiupOTjiE
— Fernando Canales F (@FerCanalesF) January 3, 2023
Hamlin had to receive CPR on full court. Later, the doctors gave him oxygen and loaded him into the ambulance.
As he was being tended to, players from both teams surrounded the scene waiting for Hamlin to recover.
The game, which was broadcast on television, was suspended with 6:06 remaining in the first period and the Bengals won 7-3.
The NFL’s statement on Hamlin’s health
«Hamlin received immediate on-field medical attention from the team, independent medical personnel and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is listed in critical condition,» the league said in a statement.
The players rallied around Hamlin and many of them knelt in prayer during treatment. The game, which was first temporarily halted, was later permanently suspended.
The crowd in Cincinnati remained silent, and television coverage was cut off from the scene on the field. Hamlin, 24, received oxygen as he left after being placed on a stretcher and his family, who were watching the game, joined him in the ambulance.
Reports said Hamlin had been taken to the UC Medical Center. Initially, reports suggested that the game would restart after a five-minute warm-up, but after discussion with the team’s coaches, the players proceeded to the locker room and the game was suspended.
ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said the NFL should cancel the game. «No one is concerned about football at the moment…they are concerned about one thing, the health and safety of this young man,» he added. Video footage showed that Hamlin had been struck in the upper chest.
The NFL, one of the most violent team sports, has been dealing with growing concerns in recent years about concussion injuries to players from blows to the head.
SPORTS
with AFP