'Misadventure' ruling on young kickboxer death

INQUEST CONCLUDES AFTER 15-YEAR-OLD DIED FROM 'CATASTROPHIC' BRAIN INJURY IN UNSANCTIONED FIGHT WITH CORONER CONCERNED PARTICIPANTS AND PARENTS AREN'T FULLY AWARE OF RISKS

- By WESLEY HOLMES ECHO Correspondent

A WORLD Champion fighter who collapsed and died after an unsanctioned kickboxing contest died through misadventure, a court has ruled.

Prize-winning kickboxer Alex Eastwood, 15, from Fazakerley, suffered a "catastrophic" head injury while competing in the unsanctioned bout.

The Archbishop Beck Catholic College pupil had fought three individual rounds at the TKMA gym in Platt Bridge, Wigan, before collapsing on June 29 last year.

He was taken to Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, where he was placed in an induced coma.

He was transferred to Manchester Children's Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for a brain bleed but sadly died of a traumatic head injury on July 2.

At his inquest this week, coroner Michael Pemberton expressed his shock at the apparent lack of regulations in kickboxing, as the court heard there were "no guidelines for health and safety" at unsanctioned contests.

The court previously heard kickboxing authorities, such as Kickboxing GB, usually only sanctioned large competitions and shows, and that it was up to individual promoters to regulate their own events.