“I received a traumatic brain injury and lost consciousness”: an 18-year-old fighter died at an MMA tournament in Kirov

“The athletes had no complaints about their health”

A mixed martial arts tournament in Kirov ended in tragedy. An 18-year-old participant died right during one of the battles. The regional Ministry of Sports allegedly named the cause of death as closed craniocerebral injury. The young man lost consciousness after receiving a strong blow.

At the same time, the organization emphasized: all athletes performed in full equipment in accordance with the rules of the event and were maximally protected. And no one was diagnosed with health problems before the start. And an ambulance was on duty next to the hall.

“Doctors immediately began resuscitation measures. An ambulance resuscitation team was called and promptly arrived at the scene with all the necessary medical equipment. Resuscitation measures were carried out by two teams, but, unfortunately, it was not possible to save the athlete. Death was declared from an unknown cause. We express our condolences to family and friends,” says the official statement of the Ministry of Sports of the Kirov Region.

The chief judge of the tournament, Andrei Glushkov, also noted that it was held according to all the rules. And before him a special medical commission passed, which did not find any alarming symptoms in anyone.

“Everyone had access, the athletes had no complaints about their health. An emergency medical team was on duty at the competitions in accordance with the requirements,” the press service of the Ministry of Sports of the Kirov Region quotes the words of the arbitrator.

According to him, the rest of the championship took place as usual and without injuries. And they tried to resuscitate the dead young man on the spot.

“After the athlete felt unwell, the medical team immediately began to provide assistance to him. The athlete was taken to an ambulance, where resuscitation measures were carried out. The competition was stopped,” added Glushkov.

Meanwhile, the Investigative Committee of the region reported that a pre-investigation check was being carried out, which should determine all the details and reasons for the incident.

“On January 26, at the Yunost sports school, during a training sparring, an 18-year-old participant received a head injury. Despite the help of doctors, he died from his injuries in an ambulance,” the Investigative Committee for the Kirov Region said in a statement.

But they also confirmed: the young man submitted all the necessary papers to participate in the tournament and enter the “cage”.

“All regulations and documentary support of the competition were observed. The athlete had clearance and all the necessary documents. The circumstances of the incident are currently being studied,” the press service of SK TASS quotes.

The Union of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) of Russia has also begun its testing. They promised to create a commission in the near future that would carefully study all the circumstances of the death. For this purpose, the organization’s leadership has already flown to Kirov.

Death of a child at a boxing tournament and tragedy at an MMA competition

At the end of December, a similar incident occurred at a boxing tournament in Pervouralsk. After the final battle, a 14-year-old boy died. He missed several strong blows to the liver and lost consciousness right in the ring.

They tried to help the young athlete, but were unsuccessful. Then the emergency doctors continued resuscitation efforts.

“The team was on site within seven minutes, doctors immediately transported the teenager to the surgical department of city hospital No. 1. We express our deepest condolences to friends and family. The boy’s family will be provided with all the necessary support by the PMAU DO CRDM, the boxing federation and the city administration,” the mayor’s office said.

However, it soon became clear that the competition was not held under the auspices of the Boxing Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region and was not included in its calendar. All the necessary conditions were not created, for example, an ambulance was not able to quickly reach the site and take the child to the hospital, since the area near the arena was not properly cleared of snow.

President of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) Umar Kremlev promised to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to understand the situation.

“I remind and insist that athletes do not participate in such events organized by left-wing organizations for the purpose of personal gain, which do not comply with and do not have state accreditation for holding such tournaments. I assure you that all those responsible will be found and will be held accountable,” he wrote on the Telegram channel.

And in June, in Belogorsk, Amur Region, a 16-year-old boy died as part of the open MMA Cup of the Rodina sports club. During one of the fights, he missed a high kick to the head and collapsed on the canvas unconscious. The young man was given first aid, but it was not possible to save him.

In this case, the cause of the tragedy was also a gross violation of the rules. According to them, fighters of this age category are required to enter the “cage” wearing helmets. But the judge ignored this and allowed the fight without them. Later, a criminal case was opened against him.

“The Belogorsk Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Amur Region has opened a case against a sports competition judge suspected of committing a crime under paragraph “c” of Part 2 of Art. 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Provision of services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the death of a person through negligence,” says the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Amur Region.

As a result, the arbitrator avoided a prison term and got off with a fine of 400 thousand rubles. And the Ministry of Sports deprived the Russian MMA Union of accreditation for a period of three months.