“Maro Chirag Buji Gayo”: 19-year-old boxer from Gujarat declared brain dead after collapsing during state championship fight

In a tragic incident at the Gujarat State Boxing Championships, a teenage boxer was declared brain dead on Monday. Karan Pipaliya, a 19-year-old boxer from Surat, competing in the men's 63.5 kg category, took on Harshvardhan Rathod but the fight was stopped after the third round as he was deemed unfit to fight.

Accordingly The Times of IndiaBoxing selector Dushyant Patel claims Karan received medical attention after his collapse, adding: “If Karan felt he was unable to continue, he should have pulled out of the fight.”

The daily reported that Karan was suspected to have suffered a brain haemorrhage and was operated on at a private medical facility, but as his condition deteriorated, the boxer was shifted to SIMS Hospital.

“When he was brought to Surat, he was brain dead. Karan is currently on ventilator support. Although he is brain dead in the hospital, his family hopes to bring him back,” the doctor who treated Karan at SIMS Hospital was quoted as saying by TOI.

Karan's father Bharat Pipaliya claimed there were not enough ambulances at the event and said his son was taken to the hospital in a private car.

“Around 150 people attended the event but there were not enough ambulances. I came to know that my son was taken to the hospital in a private car as only one ambulance was available. If an ambulance had been available, my son could have been treated immediately and could have been saved,” said Bharat.

“I ask the organizers to provide enough ambulances to ensure that something like this does not happen again. Maro Chirag is a real eye-catcher, he has no nice joy (My child is gone, this should not happen to someone else’s son),” he added.

Karan's mother Rita Pipaliya said her son was taken to the hospital nearly 90 minutes after his injury. “I accompanied him to the selection meeting in Surat with my younger son and nephew. I wanted to accompany him to Mehsana but he refused saying that all the necessary facilities are available in Mehsana. So I did not go. He sustained the injuries at 2.30 pm but was taken to the hospital at 4 pm,” she said.

She also claimed that it took a long time at the hospital to complete the formalities for treatment in Mehsana.