Latest news with #Fazakerley
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Determined parents 'will not stop until meaningful change has taken place' after death of son
The issue of child safety in combat sports will be debated in the House of Commons following the tragic death of 15-year-old kickboxer Alex Eastwood. Alex, from Fazakerley, died on July 2 last year, three days after suffering a "catastrophic" head injury while competing in an unsanctioned match. The world championship winner fought three individual rounds at the TKMA gym in Platt Bridge, Wigan, before collapsing. An inquest last month found there were "no minimum standards" for health and safety at the fundraising event, and that kickboxing clubs are not required to register with governing authorities. Following the hearing, Alex's stepmum Nikita said: "What happened to him was not just a tragic accident - the inquest has made clear to us that it was a failure of safeguarding, of responsibility, and of regulation. READ MORE: Liverpool's 'Bullring' where thousands have lived over 90 years READ MORE: Family tribute to 'best big brother', 16, found dead on railway tracks 'Alex died after a fight that we now see should never have happened. There was no national governing body involvement, and no clear or enforced safety standards. His death must be a line in the sand so that these failures change." The coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report in March over the lack of guidance and regulation in contact sports involving children. The report read: "No base line or minimum standards of what safeguarding or necessary risk management is set out for those who plan or organise an 'official' or 'unofficial' match where physical force may be used between or against a child participant. "Under current circumstance, arrangements for each and every contact sport contest involving a child is left to the judgement of an organiser who may have recourse to principles provided by a sports association, if the match is to meet official status. "If a match is unofficial or unsanctioned, there is no guideline of what minimum standards must be met to provide safeguarding for a child participant." An adjournment debate, secured by Liverpool Walton MP Dan Carden, will be heard in Parliament on Tuesday, July 8, to address the urgent need for national safeguarding of child participation in combat sports. In a statement, Alex's family said: 'We welcome the adjournment debate and are grateful to Dan Carden for bringing this issue forward. "No family should have to go through what we have. We want to ensure Alex's death leads to real change and that children across the UK are properly protected.' Dan Carden MP said: 'I'm proud to have secured a debate in Alex Eastwood's memory to push for stronger safeguards for children in combat sports. No child should be put at such risk. It's time for clear national standards to prevent another tragedy like Alex's.' Alex's parents, dad Stephen and stepmum Nikita, will also meet with Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to discuss proposals for reform on Monday, July 14. The request was made in a letter from Alex's parents' legal representatives at law firm Leigh Day. Jill Paterson, lawyer representing the family, said: 'This debate is a crucial moment for children's sport. "Alex's inquest has shone a light on serious and disturbing shortcomings relating to children's safety when participating in combat sports. Knowing the determination of Alex's parents, they will not stop until meaningful change has taken place.'
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Alex Eastwood: 'Our son's kickboxing death must lead to change'
Moments before 15-year-old Alex Eastwood headed down to the ring to compete in a charity kickboxing match, his father gave him a kiss and told him he loved Eastwood, 40, never imagined this would be the last conversation he had with his champion kickboxer collapsed after the third and final bout of the match and died three days later in hospital. After it came to light that he had been competing in an unsanctioned family, his family launched a campaign for change in his memory. During his inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court, Michael Pemberton, assistant coroner for Manchester West, concluded Alex died through said neither Alex, nor his parents, appreciated the dangers of the "chaotic and somewhat disjointed" approach to children involved in combat described the planning and lack of risk assessment before the fatal bout as "sub-optimal".Alex fell in love with kickboxing after he started training at Hurricane Combat and Fitness in Liverpool at the age of nine and had a "meteoric" rise in the sport, his inquest heard. The teenager, from Fazakerley, Liverpool, who had just finished his GCSEs, had agreed to take part in the charity fundraiser fight at TKMA Gym in Platt Bridge, Wigan, on 29 June 2024 .The bout was to be the "main event", but it was an unsanctioned match, the inquest heard. Tragedy struck when Alex collapsed after the third and final two-minute round of the "light contact" kickboxing match against a 17-year-old opponent. Mr Eastwood told the inquest he "shouted that his son's head guard had come loose" in the second round, which was said he noticed his son's movements had become "slower" and he was "holding the rope" in the third round. Speaking to BBC North West Tonight, Mr Eastwood said: "I looked at Nikita [Alex's step-mother] and across the room and shook my head as if to say 'what have we just witnessed?'"He recalled how his son, who trained five times a week, appeared "sluggish and wasn't himself" before he "started throwing punches into thin air".His father said no-one seemed to react to what was unfolding in front of their eyes as he remembered rushing to his son's side to put him in a recovery position. "I just thought 'why is no-one else reacting to this? Am I seeing this straight? This isn't normal'," said Mrs Eastwood. Alex was taken to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan where doctors confirmed he had catastrophic brain damage and was transferred to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital for surgery but he died on 2 July 2024 with his father at his bedside. "From that point on there've just been questions of what, why, and trying to move forward with some sort of life, which is very difficult at the moment," his father a pre-inquest hearing into his death, Mr Pemberton took the unusual step of filing a Prevention of Future Death report as he said he was concerned there was no regulatory guidance for any child combat sports. "To be told as parents that children are fighting in unregulated and unsanctioned fights and we don't know – it's shocking," said Mr Eastwood."We put him in a sport to help him, make him better in life and I'll never see him again now because of that sport."Alex's family said the government needed to step in to regulate the sport to make it safer for children, adding there needed to be clear, enforceable, national protections for children's combat sports."It's a great sport for people – but as long as everyone comes home safe," said Mr Eastwood."It's not at the moment, because Alex hasn't come home safe."Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "Whilst the government does not, and should not, directly regulate sport, it is clear lessons must be learned."She said her department was "exploring ways to improve the safety and welfare of children in martial arts".Additional reporting by PA Media. Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Kickboxer, 15, had fought man, 34, week before fatal bout, inquest hears
A coroner has told an inquest he was 'shocked' that a 15-year-old kickboxer who died after a bout had fought a 34-year-old man the week before. Alex Eastwood, from Fazakerley, Liverpool, collapsed after the third and final two-minute round of a 'light contact' kickboxing match against a 17-year-old opponent in a ring at a gym in Platt Bridge, Wigan, on June 29 2024. He was rushed to hospital but had suffered a serious head injury and died three days later. Unusually, Michael Pemberton, assistant coroner for Manchester (West), ahead of Alex's inquest, which started on Monday, had already raised concerns with the Government in March this year about the safety of children in combat sports and the apparent lack of regulation and safeguarding measures. Alex took up kickboxing aged nine, trained five times a week and had a 'meteoric' rise in the sport, having competed at high levels, Bolton Coroner's Court heard. He had grown to 6ft 7in, weighed 80kg and had just finished his GCSEs the week before the fight was arranged with another opponent at the gym in Wigan. The bout was to be the 'main event' but was an unofficial or unsanctioned event as it was a charity fundraiser, not a title fight under the main governing body for the sport in the UK, Kickboxing GB. Ian Hollett, who was Alex's coach and chief instructor at the gym where he trained, Hurricane Combat and Fitness in Liverpool, said his club was not affiliated to Kickboxing GB and there were no rules which stated clubs had to be recognised by governing bodies. Mr Hollett, who said he had more than 30 years' experience in martial arts and was a 16-times world champion, set up his gym in 2011 and currently has around 400 child members. He said they had only had a safeguarding officer in place since 2024 and this is carried out by a member of the club who happens to be a social worker. The coroner then asked about a tournament Alex took part in the previous weekend, where he fought a 34-year-old man in a 'light contact' competition. The event was run by the BCKA (British Chinese Kickboxing Association), a franchise, Mr Hollett said, where Alex fought eight or nine single elimination rounds. Coroner Mr Pemberton said: 'How do you have a situation where a 15-year-old child faces an adult in a contact sport?' Mr Hollett said 'discussions' about Alex competing against adults had started with his father and other coaches the previous year. He continued: 'He had not been beat for two years, he progressed rapidly, it is a customary thing that happens in our sport.' 'That's what worries me,' the coroner replied. 'You have a child fighting an adult. If that happened in the street it would be very serious. How is it acceptable?' Mr Hollett said: 'He was untouchable, pretty much. He was exceptionally developed physically, technically excellent.' He said Alex had fought adult opponents earlier in the year and although his own club and gym no longer allow such bouts, only one national body, the International Combat Organisation (ICO), has outlawed the practice. Mr Hollett added: 'Every other governing body would and has and does allow it.' The coroner replied: 'I'm quite shocked by that, I have to say. I'm not often shocked.' Mr Hollett said he was not present for any pre-bout meeting with the two fighters, referee and any other coaches to set the 'ground rules' for how much contact was to be allowed. The coroner said both Alex and his opponent had won world championship titles, it was the 'main event' of the night and the objective was to win. He continued: 'But no meeting before to put down ground rules, 'This is just an exhibition match, lads, keep that in mind?'' Mr Hollett said: 'At any competition they are trying to win. The framework is, they are not trying to knock each other out.' Dale Bannister, event organiser and owner of the TKMA gym where the bout took place, said the 'ground rules' for the match had been agreed between himself and Alex's other coach Daniel Wigelsworth as a 'light contact' fight. But as Mr Wigelsworth said 'Alex can bang' they agreed to 'let it go a bit' on the understanding neither boxer was allowed to win by a knock-out, or stoppage, that is by fighting the opponent into submission. Adam Korn, legal counsel representing the Eastwood family, suggested the fight was in a 'grey area' between light and heavier contact allowed. Mr Bannister said: 'Some are rougher than others. You can see if a fighter is trying to knock someone out.' Earlier this year the coroner wrote a Prevention of Future Deaths report to the Government about the lack of regulation of contact sports for children, with no minimum standards or risk management. The inquest continues on Wednesday.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Moment fans sing iconic song at Stephen Bunting lookalike as they're convinced darts star is moonlighting as a steward
A STEPHEN BUNTING lookalike received an unexpected serenading by Rangers fans. Darts star Bunting has become a cult figure in and out of the sport, in no small part thanks to his epic oche walk. 4 4 4 And his popularity is clearly high in Scotland as Gers fans chanted his name after seeing a lookalike working as a steward during their Scottish Premiership clash with Dundee United at Ibrox on Wednesday. A small section of the Ibrox faithful even sang David Guetta's 2011 hit 'Titanium', which is Bunting's oche-walk song, to the steward. The Bunting doppleganger saw the funny side of the comparison and even joined in on the sing-song. He lapped up the rendition of the Guetta classic, much to the delight of fans nearby. Footage of Teddy Bears fans singing to the steward spread like wildfire on social media. Darts and footie fans couldn't help but comment, with one writing on X: "Amazing lol." Another said: "Stephen Bunting moonlighting as a steward at Ibrox." 4 One remarked: "Brilliant." Another chimed in: "Bunting putting the overtime in at Ibrox tonight." It's not known if the clip of the Bunting lookalike has come to the attention of the Fazakerley thrower, who was dumped out of the Aberdeen leg of the Darts Premier League at the semi-final hurdle on Thursday night. The 40-year-old, however, will likely see the funny side of the comparison and rendition of the iconic dance anthem.
