Death of 13-year-old boy from brain haemorrhage inflames debate over Thailand’s young Muay Thai fighters
- Anucha Kochana was pronounced dead on Monday after getting knocked out in a match on the outskirts of Bangkok on Sunday evening
- The sport is governed by few rules – children of any age can box in an organised match – leaving them at risk of severe injury, or worse
The death of a 13-year-old boy, knocked out during a Thai boxing match, has inflamed debate about whether children should be allowed to take part in a dangerous sport that many of them see as their only chance of escaping poverty.
Anucha Kochana was pronounced dead from a brain haemorrhage on Monday after he was knocked out in a match on the outskirts of Bangkok on Sunday evening.
Thai boxing, or Muay Thai as it is known, is a passion in Thailand with millions of boys dreaming of glory in the ring, and a life of riches for them and their families, that success can bring.
But the sport is governed by few rules – children of any age can box in an organised match – leaving them at risk of severe injury, or worse, as Anucha’s case has shown.
The boy’s grieving relatives told media that they would not press charges over his death.