January 03, 2008	Thursday	Zilhaj 23, 1428

SEOUL, Jan 2: South Korean boxer Choi Yoi-sam, who lost consciousness after winning his WBO intercontinental flyweight title fight last week, has been declared brain dead, a hospital spokesman said on Wednesday.

A hospital committee pronounced Choi brain dead at 1:00pm (0400 GMT) after conducting a series of brain tests, said Ko Seung-kwan, a spokesman at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. Choi had been in a coma since shortly after winning the fight against Indonesian challenger Heri Amol in Seoul on Dec 25.

Doctors were scheduled to remove Choi’s organs for transplantation on Wednesday night after getting approval from the prosecutors’ office – a legal requirement before organs can be removed – said Ko.

Choi’s relatives said he would be disconnected from a life support system late on Thursday, the anniversary of the death of his father. His organs would then be harvested for donation.

“Yo-Sam always said he wanted to help those in need and he would be pleased to hear that his organs are being donated to save other lives,” his younger brother Choi Kyung-Ho told journalists.

Doctors said up to nine patients would receive the organs.

Choi fell unconscious after successfully defending his title on Dec 25. He collapsed five seconds before the end of the 12th and final round after challenger Heri Amol of Indonesia threw a right to his jaw.

Amol had earlier landed a punishing series of right and left hooks to his face.

Choi managed to stand as he was declared winner but collapsed into a coma immediately afterwards.—Agencies