Chhattisgarh: National level kick-boxing player dies after head injury

RAIPUR: The national level kick boxing gold medalist from Kerala who underwent treatment at Chhattisgarh’s BR Ambedkar Hospital after sustaining head injury during National Kickboxing championship held in September, died a day after he was airlifted to his native place on Thursday morning.
Nearly 2000 contestants participated in the championship organized by World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) in state capital from September 6-10.
The 24-year-old KK Harikrishnan from Kottayam in Kerala was among the contestants during final round on September 9 when he suddenly fell unconscious on the ground during the fight.
He was rushed to Ambedkar hospital and doctors said that he had sustained internal brain injury which had caused excessive internal bleeding and damaged large portion of the brain.
According to doctors who treated him for nearly 80 days, Harikrishnan underwent a brain surgery the same night he was admitted and showed no sign of recovery.

Though the clot was removed, the damage was done and it was irreversible. Doctors said that though he didn’t need life support system and was out of ventilator within few days of surgery, he also developed infections due to prolonged admission in hospital.
He wasn’t gaining consciousness and his family wanted to take him back to Kerala for better treatment. He was airlifted to Kerala and admitted at Indo-American Hospital at Vaikom and he passed away early on Thursday.
Chhattisgarh Kickboxing association chairperson Chaganlal Mundra confirmed that the boy was shifted and he died at his hometown even as he had extended all support and facility to the patient and his family. His family was provided accommodation close to the hospital and doctors were pressed into service for his early recovery, he said.
Harikrishnan had earlier won gold medals in school national kick boxing championship, university and state level championships.