Russian teenager dies after being injured in amateur boxing tournament

An 18-year-old Russian boxer died suddenly after suffering an injury during an amateur tournament. Ibrahim Khasanov was reportedly injured during the semifinal match at…

By: Karim Zidan | 12 months ago
Russian teenager dies after being injured in amateur boxing tournament
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

An 18-year-old Russian boxer died suddenly after suffering an injury during an amateur tournament.

Ibrahim Khasanov was reportedly injured during the semifinal match at the regional competitions among juniors in Chelyabinsk. The boxer felt unwell during the award ceremony and was subsequently hospitalized. He died six days later.

The news was first reported by the Chelyabinsk Boxing Federation on the Russian social media network VKontakte.

“During the fight, a knockdown was recorded without a fall, and the referee resumed the fight. During the awards ceremony, the athlete became ill, read the statement on VKontakte. “Doctors provided first aid on the spot, then he was hospitalized. However, despite professional medical assistance, Ibrahim could not be saved.”

The federation has since launched an internal investigation and has suspended Khasanov’s trainer, the referee overseeing his semifinal bout, as well as the chairman of the panel of judges.

“The death of a young athlete is a great loss for his family, friends and the entire boxing community,” said local sports minister Oleksandr Hryb. “I express my condolences to the family and friends of Ibrahim Khasanov. The Ministry will provide all the necessary support to the athlete’s family.”

This is not the first time that a boxer has been fatally injured during a bout. Last month, German boxer Musa Yamak lost consciousness during the third round of his fight against Ugandan boxer Hamza Wandera. He was quickly taken to hospital but did not regain consciousness.

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About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

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