Morhib Miah: Milton Keynes charity boxer died of natural causes

Morhib Miah had lived and worked in Milton Keynes for four years and joined the boxing club in 2019

A man who died four days after taking part in an amateur boxing match had an enlarged heart, possibly from training, an inquest heard.

Morhib Mohamed Miah's body was found in his flat in Medbourne, Milton Keynes, on 3 August last year.

The 32-year-old from Cardiff had taken part in a charity event on 30 July.

Tom Osborne, the senior coroner for Milton Keynes, concluded Mr Miah died in his sleep of natural causes as a result of cardiac arrhythmia.

He added that "it seemed highly unlikely that the boxing event caused or even contributed to his death."

Milton Keynes Coroner's Court heard on Tuesday that Mr Miah, known as Mo, fought three two-minute rounds against an evenly matched opponent at the Jury's Inn hotel in the city.

Afterwards he told a friend he had "never felt so tired and exhausted", the inquest heard.

The owner of his boxing club in Bletchley, Tony Banks, said: "Mo was the fittest I'd ever seen him before the fight.

"He was dedicated in his training and would attend the club three to four times a week - the only time he didn't was when he had Covid."

The court heard that Mr Miah had passed a "fit to fight" check-up and was assessed by paramedics before the match - and twice afterwards.

Mr Miah's brother Mobisir had raised questions about if the charity fight should have been stopped sooner

Shortly after Mr Miah's death, his family raised questions about the bout and asked if it should have been stopped sooner.

His eldest brother Mobisir Miah said he believed his brother "just had too much exhaustion and was really tired".

Giving evidence at the inquest, Dr El-Daly Hesham, a consultant histopathologist at Coventry and Warwickshire University Hospital, said Mr Miah had "a slightly enlarged heart".

"The heart is a muscle and while it exercises, enlargement is anticipated," Dr Hesham told the hearing.

"This can cause misfiring to occur in some of the nerves, and in rare circumstances, arrhythmia, which can lead to heart attack and death."

The coroner accepted the pathologist's view and concluded that Mr Miah's death was the result of natural causes.

Morhib Miah was described as "dedicated to his training" by his boxing club coach