Hammer Throw Accident Breaks Asian Games Official’s Leg, He’s Luckily In Stable Condition

Asian Games Official Suffers Fractured Leg From Hammer Throw, Current Condition Stable

An Asian Games official suffered an injury after Kuwaiti athlete Ali Zankawi lined up for a throw in the men’s hammer finals at the Asian Games. In a terrifying mishap, the 7.2kg hammer flew sideways instead.

The heavy metal projectile went under the safety netting and fractured the leg of an official seated nearby.

A horrified Zankawi attempted to staunch the official’s bleeding and assisted medics in getting him to the ambulance.

An Asian Games spokesperson reported the official’s condition in the hospital as stable.

Hammer accident breaks Asian Games official’s leg

On 30 Sep, just before 8pm, Kuwaiti athlete Ali Zankawi began a hammer throw attempt.

The athlete had made it to the men’s hammer finals and the former 2006 Asian Games silver medalist was gunning for gold.

In a video uploaded to Weibo and reposted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Zankawi appeared to abort his throw midway, sending the hammer bouncing on the ground.

It then continued flying sideways into the protective netting at a low height.

Shockingly, however, the 7.26kg metal ball flew through the netting and hit the leg of an Asian Games official a few metres outside.

Cameras captured Zankawi’s horrified expression when he saw the hammer throw mishap.

Zankawi rushed out to check on the 62-year-old official, named Huang Qinhua. The impact had torn a slit in his trousers and blood was gushing from his leg.

The athlete recognised these as clear signs that the hammer fractured Huang’s leg.

Apologetic athlete rushes to help

Using his hands and strength, Zankawi squeezed onto Huang’s thigh as a makeshift human tourniquet to staunch the bleeding.

Huang appeared in extreme pain, physically grimacing and swaying throughout. Officials rushed about around the two to seek help.

Zankawi then assisted medical personnel with getting Huang onto a stretcher. They rushed him to a nearby hospital via ambulance.

An Asian Games spokesman stated yesterday (1 Oct) that Huang arrived at the hospital at 8.15pm. Doctors diagnosed him with a “right open tibiofibular fracture”, according to Reuters.

Thankfully, the spokesman stated that he was in stable condition.

Zankawi, who finished eighth, felt shaken but somewhat relieved. He told AFP News that the injury could have been worse had the hammer not hit the ground first, which absorbed much of the ball’s energy.

The athlete later visited Huang in the hospital and apologised. They took a photo together after the latter accepted the apology.

At the same games, Shanti Pereira won silver in the 100m race, Singapore’s first track and field medal at the Asian Games in 49 years.

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Featured image adapted from Dylan Martinez on Reuters and AFP News via France 24.