National junior boxing c'ships claim local fighter's life
National junior boxing c'ships claim local fighter's life
JAKARTA (JP): Local boxer Akbar Maulana died yesterday after struggling for survival in intensive care at the UKI hospital, East Jakarta for 10 hours following surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain.
Akbar, 23, a native of Kediri, East Java was the ninth fatality in Indonesian boxing history since 1959. He fell unconscious after receiving a flurry of blows during a national junior featherweight championship match against title holder Bugiarso at the Senayan basketball hall on Thursday night. There was just three seconds left in the final round.
"His head injury was so serious that it caused swelling on the brain," surgeon Tommy Haluwete told reporters yesterday.
He said that the surgery was a "life saving" measure, but Akbar's survival would depend on his endurance and the side effects from the surgery.
The doctors took out a seven centimeter in diameter piece of Akbar's skull to remove the clot. It took three doctors to complete the operation held after midnight yesterday. Akbar was on a respirator and an intravenous drip during the medical treatment.
Tommy said the referee should have stopped the contest earlier, when it was obvious Akbar couldn't answer Bugiarso's relentless punches.
"Perhaps the referee couldn't stop the fight until Akbar hit the canvas," said Tommy.
National level boxing has claimed four lives in the past seven years. Light flyweights Agus Souissa and Wahab Bahari died in 1987, super lightweight Bongguk Kendy in 1990 and rookie flyweight Yance Semangun in 1993.
Akbar's coach, Dedi Mulyadi, said Akbar had never suffered a knock-out loss nor serious injury in his 15 professional bouts.
"But he lacked discipline prior to this title fight," the coach of Mirah Silver boxing camp in Kuta, Bali said. He added Akbar had only prepared for one month before the bout.
"He even didn't tell me that he got married at the end of last year," said Dedi.
The body of the boxer was sent to Surabaya later yesterday.
Meanwhile, Antara quoted chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) Asrul Azwar as saying that boxing should be banned in Indonesia. He said IDI ratified a 1983 international convention made by World Medical International which called for the banning of boxing. (amd)