Give me back my hand! - Pan Am gold medallist seeks surgery on broken finger

Pan American Championships Combat Sambo gold medallist Matthew Colquhoun says he needs surgery after learning that the hand injury he has been carrying since the tournament is worse than previously thought.

Colquhoun had developed the injury in his gold medal winning performance in July but felt that it was not serious enough to pull out of his upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA)bout with Emre Orun in The Bahamas on August 4.

"I was hoping to come away from the Pan Am Championships with no injuries, but unfortunately, that did not happen," Colquhoun told The Gleaner. "My hand was a little swollen, but I still chose to do the MMA event in Bahamas.

I knew I could've finished the guy quickly, so I went in there , and I fought and won by submission because I didn't want to throw the hand."

Colquhoun, with his knee, had also broken Orun's nose in that bout before taking him down and forcing him to submit. However, after defeating the Turkish fighter, Colquhoun learnt that he had actually broken his left index finger.

"They had to pin it together because it's a clean break," he said. "They have to put it in place and pin it together. But the doctors told me I'd be good as new and ready to head back into the gym within two months, if I do the operation."

Colquhoun has since started a GoFundMe account, which can be found at www.gofundme.com/give-a-martial-artist-back-his-hand to raise the money needed for the surgery. His gold-medal performance in Mexico in July saw him claim his second title at the event. His first came in 2014, and he is the only Jamaican to have accomplished the feat.