The South Belfast MLA said: “I completely condemn this attack on a man who was only visiting Belfast to watch a sporting event.
“This man is the type of tourist that Belfast and Northern Ireland in general should be trying to attract, but this attack will put people off coming here.
“Tourism in Northern Ireland has the potential to bring a lot of money into our local economy. But people may be reluctant to follow their team if they are playing in Northern Ireland, or they will simply watch the sporting event and leave when they may have spent a long weekend here.
“My thoughts go out to the injured man and I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.”
ENDS