Boxing in schools: Issue comes up again after student gets fatal blow in ring
The controversy over whether to ban boxing as a sport in schools was rekindled last week when a schoolboy studying for his A/level exam succumbed to his injuries. The student was knocked unconscious after receiving a blow to his head during a session.
Last Sunday, Buddhi Indeera, an A/L student from Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya was training for the junior national boxing championship to be held in Colombo. He was training in the ring with his coach (without a helmet) when a blow to his head laid him low.
The student who was to sit for his GCE A/level exam was rushed to the Homagama hospital and subsequently transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Colombo National Hospital.
After five days in the ICU, Buddhi Indeera finally succumbed to his injuries last Friday.
According to medical reports; the cause of death was internal brain haemorrhage.
His trainer-cumcoach –a retired major in the Army- and another trainer were taken into police custody and produced before the Homagama Magistrate. The duo were subsequently released on bail. Indeera’s parents were in a state of shock over his untimely death, as they were unaware their son was training for a boxing tournament.
They lamented the fact that basic protection like head gear was not provided to innocent students. “Had this basic equipment been provided our son’s life may have been saved,” they said.