Following the death of boxer Chukwuemeka Igboanugo at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State on Tuesday, a boxing coach has blamed the medical personnel at the venue for their treatment and inaction that could have saved the athlete’s life.
Igboanugo, who was representing Imo State, was said to have passed out after he received multiple punches in the chin from Anambra’s Gaby Amagor in their 86kg category bout.
The referee thereupon ended the fight after he failed to recover.
“He was immediately taken out of the ring for medical treatment before being rushed to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead,” a boxing official stated.
But Borno State coach, Endurance Aberegidi, who was at the venue when the boxer was knocked down, told our correspondent what happened in the ring on Monday and how the boxer gave up the ghost.
“It was a pathetic situation. These guy trained for years and after getting a national opportunity, he then dies in the ring,” he said.
“I was in the ringside when he fell and the medics rushed in and tried to revive him. He slightly responded and they took him to the emergency unit, then they asked for the boxer’s coach.
“I walked up to them and they told me that the boy was not responding to treatment,” Aberegidi said.
The coach told our correspondent how much time they wasted looking for the Imo coach, instead of treating Igboanugo immediately.
“They were looking for the coach for over 20 minutes as the boy was not responding to treatment. I don’t know why they wasted so much time to treat the boy. They should have focused on treating him. They said the boy didn’t allow anyone to treat him and after a short while, they came back and said he had given up the ghost,” he said.
Lagos State boxer, Israel Makinde, lamented Igboanugo’s death.
“It’s weird, it’s so painful. But I am not scared, I think you must be aware of your health before the fight and so I am trying to prepare for my semi-final clash in the flyweight tomorrow,” he said.
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