- Jubal Reji Kurian died four days after being knocked out in a boxing match.
A coroner has ruled that the death of an amateur boxer who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being beaten during a charity bout was an accident.
Jubal Reji Kurian, 23, lost consciousness during a boxing event at Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Bilborough, Nottingham, on March 25 last year and died four days later.
He was punched in the face by his opponent, causing bleeding on both sides of his brain and ultimately destroying his brain stem.
In a statement read by the coroner, Mr Cryan's father called him a “loved son” and a “cherished member of the family”. The inquest also heard he was a “dreamer” who wanted a job in the NHS.
Coroner Laurinda Bauer concluded the inquest on Tuesday and concluded that Mr Cryan's death was an accident.
Kurian had moved to the UK six months before his death and started a Masters in Sports Medicine at the University of Nottingham, but his ultimate goal was to “serve the NHS” as a physiotherapist.
His father described him as a “very athletic guy” who played many sports but had no experience with boxing, first revealing an interest in martial arts just days before the fight.
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“Jubal had a particular interest in philanthropy and being a force for good,” the statement said.
“He was passionate about making a meaningful contribution to society.”
“He was a dreamer and an achiever and set off to Bangalore to complete his bachelor's degree in physiotherapy.”
Singh, a friend of Kurian's who he met at university in India, was watching a charity boxing match when Kurian lost consciousness.
In a statement read by the coroner, he wrote: “He was a formidable presence in the ring and I will never forget the sight of him being knocked out in the third round when the tide turned.”
“We decided together to get a master's degree. Together, we immersed ourselves in a common passion.”
“His absence will be keenly felt and his future unjustly taken away.”
Ms Bauer spoke to Detective Sergeant Sarah Gregg, of Nottinghamshire Police, who ruled out foul play in the investigation following Ms Cryan's death.
She told the inquest: “We determined that there was no criminal activity as we could see from CCTV that it was a boxing match. Participants had signed a waiver saying they assumed a certain degree of risk.”
“There was no intention to assault or harm anyone.”
In her closing statement, Bauer said: “His sudden and unexpected death is a tragedy, especially since he used to box to raise money for charity and help others. This speaks volumes about the man he was, a man of great integrity.”
“My heartfelt condolences go out to Jubal's family. I can't believe for a second how painful this must be.”
Addressing Jubal's opponent Ian David, who delivered the final blow, Bauer said: “I can't imagine the amount of emotion you're going through. You know there is no responsibility or accountability for what happened.”
Bauer found that Ultra White Collar Boxing, the club run by Ultra Events which organised the charity boxing match, had followed the organisation's safety policies and carried out proper health checks on amateur boxers before and after the bout.
Jonathan Leonard, director of Ultra Events, said: “Jubal's death in this tragic accident has deeply saddened everyone at Ultra Events and we continue to offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends at this very sad time.”
“Boxing always carries a certain amount of risk as a sport at any level, but the safety and wellbeing of all participants is of paramount importance to us.”
