Boy, 13, killed in Thai boxing match

A 13-year-old boy has been killed after being knocked out in a boxing match in central Thailand.

The youth was declared dead on Monday, two days after he was rushed to a hospital just outside Bangkok after being knocked out by his opponent and suffering from brain haemorrhage.

The brain damage occurred when the boy's unprotected head hit the ground, local broadcaster Workpoint TV reported.

The death of the boy, who according to the news channel had started his boxing career when he was eight years old, comes amid growing calls for a ban on underage boxing.

"This is such an unnecessary death, as there was no medical attention provided on site," said Jiraporn Laothamatas, director of Thailand's Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Center.

According to Jiraporn, whose five-year study on child boxers indicated patterns of accumulated brain damage and memory loss, new laws are being mulled to better protect young fighters but it is hard to ban it altogether.

"These kids come from impoverished families. It's their way of making a living," she added.

Thai boxing, also known as kickboxing or Muay Thai, is an internationally popular combat sport using stand-up striking and various clinching techniques.