Pacific / Fiji

Fijian boxer Ubayd Haider dies after being knocked out in IBO Asia Pacific title fight

11:37 am on 11 November 2024

Ubayd Haider, aka Nathan Singh, is fighting for his life. Photo: Facebook / Ubaid Haidar

Fijian boxer Ubayd Haider, who collapsed and fell into a coma after his fight with China's Runqi Zhou last month, has died.

Haider, formerly known as Nathan Singh, lost by TKO to Australia-based Runqi during their IBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title fight on 26 October.

The 25-year-old boxer collapsed after the fight and was admitted to Lautoka Aspen Hospital on the same night.

"Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return," his elder brother, Sebastian Singh, wrote in a Facebook post on Monday, adding, "R I P …. See you on the other side, love you my bro. You'll always be remembered !!! (sic)."

His opponent Runqi also expressed his condolences.

"Rest In Peace to Ubayd Haider, he was a fighter till then end. condolences and deepest sympathies to his family and the people of Fiji (sic)," he wrote in a post in the Fiji Boxing Updaes group, which has almost 53,000 members.

Local media reported that he suffered a brain hemorrhage and had undergone urgent brain surgery.

Last week, his father told RNZ Pacific that Haider was unresponsive, and his family was hopeful he would make it out of the coma.

Fiji's Boxing Commission had announced that it had launched an inquiry surrounding the circumstances that led to the boxer being hospitalised.

The commission's chair told local media that the fight was sanctioned by the International Boxing Organisation under South Pacific Boxing Promotions.