An 18-year-old Australian-born goalkeeper was in intensive care in a Malaysian hospital after being reportedly struck by lightning while training in Malacca, local media said on Wednesday.
Stefan Petrovski, of mixed Malaysian and Australian heritage, was hit along with 21-year-old defender Muhd Afiq Azuan as they left training with second tier Melaka United on Tuesday and were rushed to hospital.
“He (Petrovski) received initial treatment at the emergency unit. After that, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit for further treatment,” Malacca Hospital director Dr Za’aba Baba was quoted as saying by The Sun on Wednesday. “His condition is stable and his breathing is supported with a ventilator.”
Team manager Khairi Anuar Ahmad told the Star newspaper Afiq was “conscious and in stable condition”.
He added that 29 players were at the youth training session when the incident happened with goalkeeper coach Rosli Hashim and physiotherapist Ahmad Faisal Miswanthat fortunate to escape injury.
Malacca Chief Minister Seri Idris Haron said the incident had caught everyone by surprise. “This is a totally unexpected incident because it was not raining heavily at the time,” he told local media.
Petrovski moved to United this season after previously playing for Australian semi-professional side Sydney Olympic.
