'Why did you hit so hard? You should have been more careful!' cried Madam Nur Julia. 'Didn't anyone tell you NS is for show?'
Home > ST Forum > Online Story
July 12, 2009
TEEN KICKED IN TAEKWONDO MATCH
Teen offers apology
By Carolyn Quek
<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090712/sg-die.jpg"><img src="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090712/sg-die.jpg"></a>
Vincent Tan's sister, Vivian (white) supports her mother, Madam Nur Julia (in grey) at Vincent's wake yesterday. -- PHOTO: TNP
THE teenager who dealt a fatal kick to his taekwondo opponent last week showed up at the wake on Sunday night to pay his respects.
Accompanied by his parents and sister, the 15-year-old approached the mother of the late Vincent Tan mother, sombre, to offer his apology.
Vincent, 17, died last Thursday, four days after the kick to his neck ruptured a key blood vessel to his brain.
The teen, dressed in black, kept his head bowed as Vincent's grieving mother burst into tears and screamed at him in Malay.
'Why did you hit so hard? You should have been more careful!' cried Madam Nur Julia, 51.
The stout lad took the brunt of this stoically, his head bowed, and nodding occasionally.
It was only when he was taken aside to a table that the dam broke. He turned to his taekwondo instructor and wept.
His mother, who stood beside him as he faced Madam Nur Julia also cried.
The teen's father, aged 55, said his son was traumatised by the incident and had not eaten or slept well for a week, and that he would bar him from taekwondo for the time being.
Vincent, a first-year polytechnic student, will be cremated on Monday.
Home > ST Forum > Online Story
July 12, 2009
TEEN KICKED IN TAEKWONDO MATCH
Teen offers apology
By Carolyn Quek
<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090712/sg-die.jpg"><img src="http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20090712/sg-die.jpg"></a>
Vincent Tan's sister, Vivian (white) supports her mother, Madam Nur Julia (in grey) at Vincent's wake yesterday. -- PHOTO: TNP
THE teenager who dealt a fatal kick to his taekwondo opponent last week showed up at the wake on Sunday night to pay his respects.
Accompanied by his parents and sister, the 15-year-old approached the mother of the late Vincent Tan mother, sombre, to offer his apology.
Vincent, 17, died last Thursday, four days after the kick to his neck ruptured a key blood vessel to his brain.
The teen, dressed in black, kept his head bowed as Vincent's grieving mother burst into tears and screamed at him in Malay.
'Why did you hit so hard? You should have been more careful!' cried Madam Nur Julia, 51.
The stout lad took the brunt of this stoically, his head bowed, and nodding occasionally.
It was only when he was taken aside to a table that the dam broke. He turned to his taekwondo instructor and wept.
His mother, who stood beside him as he faced Madam Nur Julia also cried.
The teen's father, aged 55, said his son was traumatised by the incident and had not eaten or slept well for a week, and that he would bar him from taekwondo for the time being.
Vincent, a first-year polytechnic student, will be cremated on Monday.
