STUDENT'S FAMILY SUES BOXING FIRM OVER FATAL BOUT INJURY

The family of a student who died after being injured during an amateur boxing match is suing the event's organiser for £200,000, London's High Court heard. Jubal Reji Kurian, a postgraduate student at Nottingham University, collapsed in the ring towards the end of the third and final round of a bout at Nottingham's Harvey Haddon Sports Centre on an unspecified date. He hit the canvas after a blow to the head and never regained consciousness, dying in hospital four days later on 29 March 2023. His father, Reji Kurian, has brought the damages claim against Ultra Events Ltd, which organised the bout, arguing the referee should have stopped the fight before the final blow was struck. Ultra Events Ltd denies liability, saying the referee was experienced and competent to oversee the three two-minute-round amateur contest.

Mr Kurian had moved to the UK six months before his death to study for a master's degree in sports medicine, with the aim of becoming an NHS physiotherapist, the court heard. An inquest into his death in 2024 heard that he had appeared to be competing well in the fight before suffering serious injuries in the final round. His parents flew from the United Arab Emirates to Nottingham after the match, but his life support was switched off once he was in hospital. The family's barrister, Harry Trusted, told the court the case rests on the argument that Mr Kurian would have survived had the fatal punch not been thrown. He acknowledged the claim can only succeed if a sufficient level of carelessness by the organisers is demonstrated.

Ultra Events Ltd's barrister, Daniel Tobin, told the court the company rejects liability, citing the referee's experience in amateur boxing. The case was heard before Master John Dagnall at a pre-trial hearing in London last week. No date has been given for a full trial or final ruling on the claim.