Scots boxing champion Colin Cairney is fighting for his life in a Thai hospital after a horror road incident. The 22-year-old welterweight reportedly fell from a tuk-tuk following a disagreement with the driver.
Incident Details
Cairney, from Stirling, was found unconscious on the road outside The Nature Hotel in Phuket’s Patong district on Saturday morning. He was rushed to hospital and is on a life-support machine.
Local reports indicate that Cairney boarded a tuk-tuk rickshaw after a night out and was on his way back to his hotel. CCTV captured the driver taking him to an ATM to pay for the fare, but the vehicle passed the hotel without stopping. Cairney appears to have fallen off the back of the vehicle soon after, suffering a serious head injury. The tuk-tuk driver did not stop, and Thai police are hunting for him. Cops identified the tuk-tuk’s owner, but he said it had been rented out to another person.
Boxing Career
Cairney has been fighting professionally since 2023 and has a record of 10-0, with nine knockouts. Last year, he won the WBO International Youth Welterweight belt in Hong Kong after a second-round stoppage against Trijot Singh Bawa. In his most recent outing, he clinched the Commonwealth International belt after stopping Taylor Greig in the fourth round in Glasgow. He is the highest-ranked welterweight in Scotland and trains at the 1314 Boxing Club in Braehead under former Scottish champ Jamie Coyle. Before the incident, he aimed to headline events and challenge for the British championship belt next year.
Fundraising Effort
The 1314 Boxing Club revealed Cairney did not have travel insurance and created a fundraising page to support his treatment. A spokesperson said: "Our beloved Colin Cairney has been involved in a devastating accident while in Thailand and is currently fighting for his life in hospital. Colin is receiving intensive medical care and remains on life support. This has been an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time for everyone who knows and loves him. We are raising funds to help support Colin’s ongoing treatment, due to him not having travel insurance. Every donation, no matter the amount, will help ease some of the financial pressure during this unimaginable time." The fundraising page brought in over £6,000 an hour after being created.
