KUALA LUMPUR – “It’s painful for a dad not to be able to hug and play with his own son.”
These were the heartfelt words of national and Selangor FC footballer Faisal Halim, who has been unable to see his son for the past month after falling victim to an acid attack.
The 26-year-old winger was attacked on May 5 while at a shopping centre in Petaling Jaya with his family.
Faisal suffered fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body, necessitating intensive care.
Following multiple surgeries and a skin transplant using skin imported from Belgium at a hospital in Shah Alam, Faisal was stabilised and subsequently discharged.
He is currently in the early stages of recovery before starting sports rehabilitation.
In his first public appearance since the attack, Faisal shared his struggles during a press conference at the Selangor Football Training Centre.
He spoke candidly about the difficulty of being away from his son during his time in intensive care.
“My family is my greatest source of strength, and I’m very close to my son. Whenever I travel, he falls sick missing me.
“After the incident, I couldn’t be with my son for nearly a month. I couldn’t hug him, and that was very hard to bear.
“It’s painful for a dad to not be able to hug and play with his own son. Even after I came home post-discharge, I still couldn’t hug him or sleep beside him. It was only about four to five days ago that I finally managed to be with him.
“My son is my biggest strength, and I have accepted my fate with an open heart. I hope to return to the field and give my son a gift in the days to come,” Faisal said.
Faisal joined the Red Giants from Terengganu FC last year and scored 12 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions last season.
Selangor currently rank fourth in the Super League table with six points from three games.
The team have played only two matches after withdrawing from the Charity Shield, resulting in a walkover win and three points for Johor Darul Ta’zim FC. – June 13, 2024