A Russian sumo wrestler once called “the strongest child in the world”, who weighed 210 kilograms when he was just 6 years old, died at the age of 21, according to a report.
Dzhambulat Khatokhov became a heavyweight when he was 3 years old and was shot in front of the star all over the world, amid concerns about his health, East2West News reported.
Betal Gubzhev, 29, president of the Kabardino-Balkaria Mass and Sumo Wrestling Federation, the region where Khatokhov lived, announced his death.
The cause has not been revealed, but he would have suffered from severe kidney problems.
At the age of 9, when he was known as Dzhambik and nicknamed the Gladiator by his schoolmates, he weighed about £ 320 – more than the combined total of four fellow students.
His mother, Nelya, had reportedly neglected his health.
“It simply came to our notice then. What can I do about it? This is who he is, that’s how God created him, “she said.
In 2009, a British doctor warned that the boy’s condition was serious.
“Her weight means she has a much higher risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease,” said Dr. Ian Campbell. “Due to the fact that he is so hard so young, his life expectancy is likely to be greatly reduced.”
Khatokhov’s first wrestling coach said it was hard to train him.
“He usually does running and gymnastics, but I don’t do full exercises,” said Khasan Teusvazhukov, 48. “He will not be able to do most of these things anyway because of his size.
“We are trying to be careful with him. It is possible that the doctors say that he is fine, but he doesn’t look like that and I don’t want to cause him any harm “, he added.
But his mother said doctors in Moscow could not find medical problems that would cause her extreme weight.
“I went through various examinations. Every doctor wanted to find something to explain why Dzhambik is so big, ”she said at the time.
“None of them discovered anything. When he was 5 years old, I took him to clinics in Moscow, where I did all the available tests, organ scans and hormone tests, “she added.
“But they showed that he is absolutely healthy and that his heart, liver and everything else is proportional to his size. It’s said to be healthy, so I’m not worried. I think he will live a long and happy life “, said Nelya.
He also strongly denied putting on steroids.
“It simply came to our notice then. He grew bigger and bigger – up and out. God created it that way, “she said.