18-year-old boxer dies after losing consciousness while sparring

An 18-year-old professional boxer from Cavite died days after he collapsed while sparring at a gym in Makati City.

According to Saleema Refran's report on "24 Oras", Axiel Van Dignos was comatose for a few days before he passed away on Sunday night.

“Ngayon lang ako na nakaramdam nang ganito kasakit. Di ko mawari. Ang sakit talaga,” Charlito Dignos, his coach and father, said.

(It is my first time to feel this hurt. I cannot explain it.)

The young boxer was slowly making a name for himself after winning several bouts in the flyweight division prior to the incident.

According to his father, he was doing great during the sparring but said he felt tired.

“Maganda galaw niya pati suntok niya malakas pero noong two rounds, nagsabi siya sa akin 'Pa, pagod ako. Pagod na ako'. First time niya nagsabi sa akin nang ganoon pag may sparring,” Charlito said.

(His moves were okay, and his punches were strong. But after two rounds, he told me was tired. It was the first time I heard him say that.)

A representative of Ospital ng Makati said he died of uncal herniation secondary to severe traumatic brain injury, which means he had internal brain bleeding.

“Usually happens na biglaan dahil po ito… Due to injury sa ulo, due to repeated blows to the head, so pwede magka-intracranial bleeding,” said Dr. Jose Noel de Chavez, the chief surgical resident of the Ospital ng Makati.

(Usually, this happens suddenly because this is an injury to the head. Due to repeated blows. So intracranial bleeding is possible.)

“Dahil nu'ng bleeding, nagkaroon ng increase ng pressure sa loob ng ulo kaya naipit ‘yung part ng utak na nagka-control sa paghinga at saka pagtibok ng puso ng pasyente,” he added.

(There was an increased pressure inside the head because of the bleeding. So the part of the brain that controls breathing and the beating of the heart was pinched.)

Axiel did not undergo an operation because his condition was unstable, according to his family.

GMA News reached out to his sparring partners but they declined to give statements. —Sundy Mae Locus/NB, GMA News