PHUKET'S MOST significant sports story of the year may happen on Christmas Day.
Given the on-pitch heart attack suffered by star player Camara Ahmed, if FC Phuket wins a place in Thailand's Division One this weekend, it will be a classic tale of triumph over adversity.
More importantly, Camara now appears to be on the path to recovery. His eyes are open, he can eat, and move a little, and doctors think he should be ready for release from Phuket City's Vachira Hospital very soon.
There will still be about three months of recovery and rehabilitation before he can fly home to be reunited with his young family in the Ivory Coast. But doctors think he will improve faster if he is in his own apartment in Phuket City.
It was Camara's dream to help FC Phuket to Division One before he collapsed at Phuket's Surakul Stadium during a match on October 30 and lapsed into a coma. Teammates feared for his future, and fans took part in a candlelight vigil as well as raising money to cover medical expenses.
Today the 26-year-old star shows signs of improvement whenever his two Ivory Coast FC Phuket teammates, Diarra Ali and Nene Bi, pay him a visit. And his brother Kone Lassine looks forward to taking Camara home to Ivory Coast, even though the country is in the midst of a political upheaval that has it on the edge of civil war.
Sunday's match at 4pm against Samut Prakarn should cheer Camara. And if Phuket's ''incredible Hulks'' fight their way to Division One, it will be difficult to top as the sports story of the year.
Mind you, a few contenders came as 2010 drew to a close. Memorable was the first Laguna Ironman 70.3 title, and the first Phuket Honda motor racing event that drew a crowd of 50,000 by some estimates, and the storm that blew about 12 King's Cup Regatta racers onto Kata beach.
But for sheer passion and persistence, the story of FC Phuket and Camara Ahmed is not easy to top.
Patong's Beach Road Parking: New Deal AgreedGiven the on-pitch heart attack suffered by star player Camara Ahmed, if FC Phuket wins a place in Thailand's Division One this weekend, it will be a classic tale of triumph over adversity.
More importantly, Camara now appears to be on the path to recovery. His eyes are open, he can eat, and move a little, and doctors think he should be ready for release from Phuket City's Vachira Hospital very soon.
There will still be about three months of recovery and rehabilitation before he can fly home to be reunited with his young family in the Ivory Coast. But doctors think he will improve faster if he is in his own apartment in Phuket City.
It was Camara's dream to help FC Phuket to Division One before he collapsed at Phuket's Surakul Stadium during a match on October 30 and lapsed into a coma. Teammates feared for his future, and fans took part in a candlelight vigil as well as raising money to cover medical expenses.
Today the 26-year-old star shows signs of improvement whenever his two Ivory Coast FC Phuket teammates, Diarra Ali and Nene Bi, pay him a visit. And his brother Kone Lassine looks forward to taking Camara home to Ivory Coast, even though the country is in the midst of a political upheaval that has it on the edge of civil war.
Sunday's match at 4pm against Samut Prakarn should cheer Camara. And if Phuket's ''incredible Hulks'' fight their way to Division One, it will be difficult to top as the sports story of the year.
Mind you, a few contenders came as 2010 drew to a close. Memorable was the first Laguna Ironman 70.3 title, and the first Phuket Honda motor racing event that drew a crowd of 50,000 by some estimates, and the storm that blew about 12 King's Cup Regatta racers onto Kata beach.
But for sheer passion and persistence, the story of FC Phuket and Camara Ahmed is not easy to top.
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