Twenty-one-year-old boxer Raju Budhamagar passed away Wednesday, a day after he fell down unconscious in the ring after receiving a punch during a semifinal match of the Inter-Municipality Boxing Tournament in Hetauda.
Before I begin, let me express a heartfelt condolence to the Budhamagar family. May his soul rest in peace.
Tragedy happens in sports as in any other fields, and tragedy in boxing is not uncommon. In the last three decades, more than 200 boxers have died during a bout or training. Despite that, the sport has endured the repeated call for ban owing to life risks. Fortunately, there were not much tragedies in boxing in Nepal, until this one. Although Nepal Boxing Association president Rabiraj Thapa recalled dying of a boxer during a training session three decades ago, Budhamagar´s death is the first major tragedy to happen to Nepali boxing. Continue reading…
