Amateur Boxer Dies from Brain Injury in Charity Match

The tragic death of a 23-year-old student due to a fatal brain injury during a charity boxing match has been recounted at an inquest. Jubal Reji Kurian was knocked unconscious and fell backwards from a punch, causing bilateral bleeding on his brain that killed his brain stem. Despite appearing to have the upper hand in the fight, he tragically succumbed to his injuries four days later. 
 
Ultra White Collar Boxing, organized by Ultra Events and based out of Derby, hosted the event at Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Bilborough, Nottingham, on March 25th last year. After hearing about their son's severe condition, Mr. Kurian's parents made an urgent journey from the UAE to Nottingham, where they made the heartbreaking decision to switch off life support. 
 
Critical care consultant Dr. Sarah Linford stated clearly during Monday's inquest that no medical intervention could have reversed Mr. Kurian’s devastating condition. The initial scan revealed evidence of bilateral subdural hemorrhage on the surface of his brain, which had resulted in increased pressure. She attributed this blunt force trauma and subsequent global edema as likely factors contributing to Mr. Kurian’s demise. 
 
Dr. Linford also suggested that since there were no signs indicating any attempts by him to break his fall, it could be inferred that he was already unconscious before hitting the floor. This fact became even more unsettling when she found no signs of any activity or responsiveness upon checking for them at Queen’s Medical Center: "No signs of him waking up, coughing, or breathing were present,"  she said. 
 
Ian David delivered what turned out to be an unfortunate final blow despite being equally inexperienced himself as a boxer participating in such an event for charity purposes only. He expressed deep remorse over this incident, stating how he never intended nor expected anything like this happening while participating with good intentions: “I did not feel like I won. He left not how I expected, so I was not victorious.” 
 
Despite the tragedy, it was revealed that both participants had undergone a rigorous training schedule prior to the event. Jonathan Leonard, director of Ultra Events, stated during the inquest that all amateur boxers are required to attend free training sessions at Rebels Gym in Nottingham for eight weeks leading up to any fight. Mr. Kurian attended 22 such sessions, while his opponent managed between 20 and 21. 
 
Leonard further emphasized how well Jubal Reji Kurian was performing during his bout: “Jubal was probably winning... both participants were landing blows on each other until unfortunately it ended with one punch.” 
 
This incident has led Cancer Research UK, which had previously partnered with Ultra Events, to discontinue their association following this being the third fatal incident involving a boxer participating in fundraising bouts for them. Alastair Peck lost his life two days after a similar match held back in Harrogate in 2017 due to an existing head injury sustained during sparring practice, which made him susceptible.