Our 15-year-old son suffered a fatal kickboxing injury - we don't want his death to be in vain
Alex Eastwood died last year after a kickboxing fight in Wigan.
The parents of a 15-year-old boy who died as a result of a head injury sustained in a kickboxing match, met with Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy.
Ms Nandy spent an hour with Ste and Nikita Eastwood at their family home in Liverpool last week. The couple shared the story of how their son, Alex, died three days after suffering an injury during an unsanctioned kickboxing fight at a gym in Platt Bridge, Wigan.
Alex was initially taken to Royal Albert Edward Infirmary and was then transferred to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) after he was found to have a bleed on the brain. He underwent surgery but sadly died in hospital on July 2, 2024.
Alex’s family, who live in Fazakerley, have raised concerns about the safety measures and precautions in place around his fight on June 29, as well as the regulation around child combat sports more generally.
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The inquest process into Alex’s death exposed the lack of safeguarding in place within the kickboxing sport. A prevention of future deaths (PFD) report issued by the coroner ahead of the full inquest hearings stated that at unofficial or unsanctioned matches there is no guideline of what minimum standard must be met to provide safeguarding for a child participant.
These included:
- No minimum standard of what medical support may be required
- Maximum rounds or periods of rest
- Welfare checks on participants being undertaken
- No risk assessment and critical incident plan
Ms Nandy responded to the PFD saying she had tasked her department with “exploring ways to urgently improve the safety and welfare of children in martial arts and ensure it is always a priority”.
Ste and Nikita told Ms Nandy that they wanted Alex’s legacy to be protection for all other children and teenagers who participate in the sport of kickboxing. They said their one wish was that Alex’s death would not be in vain, but would bring about lasting change for other kickboxers.
Ste Eastwood said: “We were very encouraged by the constructive meeting with Lisa Nandy. She told us she is considering a range of options to tackle the issues we described to her.
“We look forward to working further with Lisa Nandy and her team.”
The meeting with Lisa Nandy followed a debate in the House of Commons earlier in the summer when the Eastwood family’s MP Dan Carden highlighted the story of Alex’s death. On July 8, Mr Carden told the Commons that it was time for clear national standards to prevent another tragedy like the death of Alex.
Following the debate, Nikita Eastwood said: “It was very moving to hear Alex’s story told to the MPs who were present for the Adjournment Debate. We are grateful to Dan Carden for highlighting the story of Alex’s death and the safeguarding gaps in the world of kickboxing that still exist.
“As a family we are determined to see these gaps eradicated so that no other kickboxer faces the risks that Alex did on the day he suffered his fatal injury.”