Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

MASTER Peter Lue, chief instructor at Jamaica Taekwondo, yesterday told The Gleaner that injured fighter Oshane Murray remains in intensive care at the University Hospital of the West Indies after a cheerleading accident at the University of Technology (UTech) on Wednesday, January 30.

Lue said he was shocked when news initially broke that Murray, a 19-year-old tae kwon do star and former Calabar standout, was injured "during training".

"News came out that the tae kwon do athlete was injured 'during training' but it was not stated what type of training. I want to make it clear that he was not doing tae kwon do," said Lue, a 37-year veteran and seventh-degree black belt.

"I actually didn't know that he had started doing cheerleading at school. I wasn't aware and, if I knew I, would have put a stop to it," said Lue, who is also tae kwon do coach at UTech where the sport has both a club and is taught as a subject.

Showing progress

Lue, similar to other members of the local martial arts fraternity, has been guarded on releasing second-hand information on Murray's condition as only four family members have been allowed to visit him in hospital.

"I got to understand that initially he had no movement but he now has some movements of the hands and knows what's happening around him but he can't talk a lot because he is on the respiratory machine," said Lue.

The tae kwon do instructor said had he been in the know, he would have advised Murray against cheerleading manoeuvres.

"I can't tell people what to do, but this is one of our top fighters. This was like when Yohan Blake said he wanted to play cricket and his coach spoke out," he said.

"This is not like tae kwon do that, even when you are jumping and kicking, your feet are always below you. We don't even know if he'll walk again," a distraught Lue added.

Meanwhile, captain of the combined team, Jason McKay, said the unit's prayers and resources are behind Murray.

"We're all hoping for the best," he said.