British boxer dies after first Muay Thai fight on Koh Samui
A British boxer died last week after his first Muay Thai fight on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani.
Bor Phut Police Station officers were alerted to the death of the British man, 30 year old Joseph Itai Rinomhota, at 12.03pm on March 29. Rinomhota died at Thai International Hospital on Koh Samui after being admitted to the hospital on March 28 in an unconscious state.
The Thai boxer’s mentor, Nanthawan, told police that Rinomhota died after his first Muay Thai fight at 9.30pm on March 28 at Samui International Muay Thai Stadium. He fought against a Thai boxer known in the industry as Superlek in a five-round match.
The referee stopped the fight during the third round after Rinomhota was repeatedly kicked in the ribcage more than 10 times, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Rinomhota managed to walk down from the boxing ring and remove his gloves himself. However, he unexpectedly began experiencing breathing difficulties and lost consciousness five minutes later. The medical team administered CPR for over an hour, but unfortunately, they were unable to save his life.
Rinomhota’s body remains under autopsy to determine the cause of death. Police stated that they would contact the embassy to inform his family of his passing.
Rinomhota had entered Thailand nine times under the visa-exemption scheme. On eight occasions, he was permitted to stay for 30 days, while on his most recent entry, he was allowed to stay for 60 days for travel, business contracts, and short-term work.
According to a report by PPTV HD, the International Federation of Muaythai Associations and the World Professional Muay Thai Federation will hold a press conference today, April 1, at 2pm at the Ambassador Hotel in Bangkok to clarify further details of the case to the public.
Another British boxer lost his life at a hotel in Pattaya in November last year. However, this British national did not die from injuries sustained in a fight but from an alleged drug overdose. He was found in a hotel room with an Australian boxer, and both were reportedly using cannabis mixed with ketamine.
There has been no report on the condition of the Australian boxer or whether he will face any legal consequences for drug use.
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