Mother alleges injury at unsanctioned martial arts tournament put son in vegetative state
Ying Li, mother of a 26-year-old chemistry grad student named Zhenhuan Lei, alleges that her son is in a vegetative state as a result of an injury that occurred at an unsanctioned martial arts tournament.
The event, the Western Canadian Martial Arts Championship (WCMAC), took place in October 2023 at the Simon Fraser University Main Gym in British Columbia.
Lei allegedly suffered an acute subdural hematoma, a type of brain bleeding, after his opponent allegedly struck the young man multiple times beyond the force allowed in the “continuous kick light” competition. According to the complaint, the referees allegedly failed to enforce the rules. Li states that her son vomited and fell out of consciousness.
Promoted as a ‘continuous kick light’ event – a safer type of kickboxing – the competition was intended for amateurs.
Doctors at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster assert “there is very little likelihood that the condition of Zhenhuan Lei will improve or that he will be able to care for himself in the future.”
The statement of claim alleges proper medical care was not ready at the scene. It alleges organizers didn’t call an ambulance quickly or communicate with the emergency dispatcher effectively and it took paramedics 90 minutes to arrive.
The opponent allegedly had competed in Thailand in “what would be classified as a professional bout in British Columbia.”
In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, Li alleges organizers of the martial arts tournament failed to take steps to adequately protect fighters like her son by allowing the experienced fighter to compete against lesser experienced athletes.
She also alleges the tournament referees and first aid attendant were unqualified and failed to keep him safe.
Lei spent four months in the hospital and took a medical flight back to China with his mother. He is in hospital in Beijing and remains in a coma.
An online fundraiser has been launched to assist with the costs associated with his recovery. They are represented by MMA lawyer Erik Magraken.
