Shigetoshi Kotari dies six days after sustaining brain injury during title fight

Monitoring Desk

TOKYO: Japanese boxer Shigetoshi Kotari has tragically passed away at the age of 28 due to a brain injury, sustained during a title bout against Yamato Hata last week in Tokyo, the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) confirmed.

According to the international media, the 28-year-old was competing in the OPBF Super Featherweight title fight, which ended in a draw.

Following the bout, Kotari was rushed to a hospital for an emergency brain surgery, but could not survive the fatal injury. The WBO, in an official statement, confirmed the demise of Kotari, mourning the loss of the ‘warrior’ in the ring. “Rest in peace, Shigetoshi Kotari. The boxing world mourns the tragic passing of Japanese fighter Shigetoshi Kotari, who succumbed to injuries sustained during his August 2nd title fight. A warrior in the ring,” said the WBO in a statement.

“A fighter in spirit. Gone too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, team, and the entire Japanese boxing community,” it added. Meanwhile, Kotari’s unfortunate passing also moved the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), which vowed to take immediate measures to ensure the fighters’ safety. For the unversed, Kotari is the second renowned boxer to die in the ongoing year, Irishman John Cooney, who passed away in February following a bout in Belfast.

Cooney, also aged 28 at the time of his passing, suffered an intracranial haemorrhage during his fight against Nathan Howells.