Games-SEA Games competitor involved in fatal motorcycle crash
(Adds statement from Singapore National Olympic Committee) By Julian Linden SINGAPORE, June 7 (Reuters) - A member of the Singapore team competing at the Southeast Asian Games is in hospital after being involved in a fatal motorcycle accident on Sunday which resulted in the death of his younger brother. The Singapore National Olympic Council confirmed that Muhammad Azreen, a 25-year-old member of Singapore's sepak takraw team, had been involved in a crash in the early hours of Sunday morning. Local media said Azreen had undergone surgery in a Singapore hospital and was in a critical condition. Police said his 21-year-old brother, who was riding pillion, died from the injuries he sustained in the accident. "This is a very unfortunate accident involving Muhammad Azreen and his family," Team Singapore's chef de Missions Tan Eng Liang and Nicholas Fang said in a statement. "We are very sorry for his family's loss and are currently in contact with his family to monitor his situation. "The priority now is to focus on Azreen's immediate needs and to ensure the team's well-being is being looked after." Local media reported that Azreen was riding his motorcycle on a Singapore expressway in the early hours of Sunday morning when he was involved in a collision with a car. The reports said both men were taken to hospital but his younger brother later died from his injuries. The sepak takraw team official said Azreen had broken his arm and would not take any part in the SEA Games, the region's biggest multi-sports event. Local media reported his injuries were "life-threatening." A sepak takraw official said other members of the team were receiving grief counselling but would compete at the Games, which run until June 16. Singapore's sepak takraw team were due to play their first matches against Thailand and Indonesia on Monday. Sepak takraw is a type of kick volleyball that uses a rattan ball with players only allowed to use their feet, knees, chest and head. The sport is hugely popular in Southeast Asia and is one of the major attractions of the SEA Games. (Reporting by Julian Linden, editing by Ed Osmond/Sudipto Ganguly)
