A Russian sumo wrestler once called ‘the world’s strongest boy’ who weighed 210 pounds when he was just 6 years old has died at the age of 21, according to a report.
Dzhambulat Khatokhov became a heavyweight sensation when he was 3 years old and became famous worldwide for concerns about his health, East2West News reported.
Betal Gubzhev, 29, president of the Sumo and Mass Wrestling Federation of Kabardino-Balkaria, the region where Khatokhov lived, announced his death.
The cause was not revealed, but he reportedly suffered from serious kidney problems.
At the age of 9, when he was known as Dzhambik and nicknamed Gladiator by his classmates, he weighed about 320 pounds – more than the total of four fellow students.
His mother, Nelya, had hit back at reports that she was neglecting his health.
‘It just grows – upwards and outwards. What can I do about it? This is who he is, this is how God created him, ”she said.
In 2009, a British doctor warned that the boy’s condition was dire.
“His weight puts him at a greatly increased risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease,” said Dr. Ian Campbell. “Because he is so heavy so young, his life expectancy is likely to drop sharply.”
Khatokhov’s first wrestling coach said it was difficult to train him.
“Usually he does running and gymnastics, but I don’t give him the full exercises,” says Khasan Teusvazhukov, 48. “He won’t be able to do most of these exercises anyway because of his size.
“We try to treat him with care. The doctors might say he’s fine, but he doesn’t look like much and I don’t want to harm him, ”he added.
But his mother said doctors in Moscow could not find any medical problems that were causing his extreme weight.
“We have had several studies. Every doctor wanted to find something to explain why Dzhambik is so big, ”she said at the time.
‘None of them have discovered anything. When he was 5, I took him to clinics in Moscow where we did all the available tests, organ scans and hormone tests, ”she added.
But it showed that he’s absolutely healthy and that his heart, liver, and everything else is proportional to his size. They say he’s healthy so I’m not worried. I believe he will live a long and happy life, ”Nelya said.
She also strongly denied giving him steroids.
‘I can’t say how it happens. He just got bigger and bigger – up and out. God created him that way, ”she said.