KOCHI: A 17-year-old Kerala student is on ventilator support after suffering a serious head injury during a CBSE South Zone Taekwondo competition in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on August 3, with his family alleging that the referee failed to intervene despite an earlier foul and the student’s signal to stop the bout.Faiz Abdul Jalal, a class 12 student of a private English-medium school in Thrissur, was injured after his opponent allegedly kicked him in the head while he was standing outside the court after withdrawing from the competition, his family said.According to his paternal uncle Mujeeb, Jalal was initially kicked in the groin during the bout.Following the incident, he moved aside and signalled that he wanted to withdraw from the competition.Jalal had signalled with his head that he wanted the bout to be stopped, and the referee should have immediately intervened after seeing the signal, Mujeeb said.The family alleged that the referee failed to follow rules requiring the official to move along with the contestants and remain within a distance of two metres of them.The opponent had kicked Faiz in the groin initially, but the referee failed to intervene even after the first foul, the family alleged.“Instead, the match was not stopped. After Jalal withdrew from the competition and was standing outside the court, the opponent delivered a powerful kick to his head. He was thrown off balance, fell and hit his head on the concrete floor,” Mujeeb alleged.School authorities immediately rushed Jalal to a private hospital in Nagpur, where he underwent emergency surgery on the same day.“The emergency surgery helped save his life,” Mujeeb said.Jalal was later brought to Kochi by air ambulance on Sunday for further expert treatment.He continues to remain on ventilator support at a private hospital in Kochi, though doctors have said his condition has shown some improvement, the family said.The family has lodged a complaint with the CBSE authorities, alleging negligence and an irresponsible approach by the referee during the competition.The family has also decided to pursue legal action in the matter.“We have lodged a complaint with the CBSE. We will continue our legal fight until he gets justice,” Mujeeb said.(With PTI inputs)
