Boxer’s death raises safety concerns

The Fijian boxing community is in mourning following the death of one of its champions this week.

Ubayd Haider, formerly known as Nathan Singh, died on Monday - 16 days after his International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Asia Pacific title fight in Fiji.

The 25-year-old was knocked out by Australian-Chinese champion Runqi Zhou in their Featherweight bout on 26 October. Haider was laid to rest on Tuesday.

His death has prompted questions about whether adequate safeguards were in place before and after the fight.

While the cause of death is unknown, Fijian health expert in New Zealand, Dr Api Talemaitoga, says it’s a tragic incident that resulted in the death of a young, promising boxer for Fiji.

Watch the full interview on 531PI Pacific Mornings:

“The loss of someone young, promising, it’s a tragedy. In the prime of their life. Our hearts go out to them and we sympathise with them.”

Tributes have been pouring in for Haider, with his brother Nathan Singh taking to social media to express the family’s sadness.

"Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return,

"R I P …. See you on the other side, love you my bro. You'll always be remembered !!! ."

Haider collapsed in the ring during the fight and was rushed to Lautoka Aspen Hospital where he underwent brain surgery, reportedly after suffering haemorrhage. He was in a coma until his death.

Local media reported on Wednesday that the government has announced an investigation will be conducted into the circumstances surrounding Haider’s sudden death.

Fiji’s Youth and Sports Minister Jesse Saukuru told journalists that he would like to see an independent and thorough investigation.

Talemaitoga said Haider’s death emphasises the importance of having thorough health checks for fighters.

“It emphasises the importance of being aware of the dangers or safety that should be in place for combat sports.

“I’m sure the Fiji Amateur Boxing Association have good protocols for head injuries that are observed when someone fails head-injury assessments.

“For me, it emphasises how important it is to have a proper and thorough medical assessment, not just after a boxing match or post-head injury check, but that our young athletes are assessed properly and supported.

“This is in the case they have underlying health conditions that may be undiagnosed. I’m not saying this boxer has any of that, but we do know the high rates of diseases that our Fijians have.”

Talemaitoga says there must be thorough support for head injuries in sports and he encourages people to be aware of the implications.

“We are finding out the dangers further on. We’ve got international sports people like in rugby, having problems with dementia and memory issues later on in life. That’s from a chronic concussion.

“In sports like boxing, we really need to be careful and force stand-down periods if there is proven to be a head injury severe enough to have effects immediately after the match.

“I’m sure they already have protocols, but maybe it’s a good time to relook at them, update them. Are we being rigid enough in doing a throughout medical assessment before a person is allowed in the ring, and also after each match?

“Just because they’ve got a bit of bruising or cuts on the outside, doesn’t mean there hasn’t been an impact internally. We need to update protocols so safety is paramount.”

Photo/Facebook.

Saukuru said in a statement that ”while we value the fact that boxing is indeed a hazardous sport, all necessary precautions to ensure protection for our athletes must be taken.

“When Ubayd was left in a coma, the BCF [Boxing Commission of Fiji] launched an investigation, but that simply is not enough.

“What we really need is an independent inquiry one that will delve into - not just the circumstances surrounding his death - but also examine the operations and safety procedures of BCF.

“We owe it to Ubayd, his family, and the sporting community to make sure all protocols were followed and that no stone has been left unturned in this investigation.”

Meanwhile, Haider’s father, Gyan Singh, is reportedly suing the governing body of the sport in Fiji and the boxing promoter of the event.

Singh told RNZ Pacific that the Boxing Commission of Fiji and South Pacific Boxing Promotions should be held accountable for his son’s untimely passing.