Scottish featherweight champion Andy Tham, 6-2 (3 KOs), has died at the age of 28 following a motorcycle accident on May 30.
The fighter fought as recently as May 17 when he lost a 10-round decision to George Stewart in a bid for the Celtic crown. As always, Tham gave his all despite losing on all three cards.
It was only 13 days later when Tham was riding his Kawasaki motorcycle, a little before 7pm, he was involved in a collision with a car in his hometown of Cumbernauld. He was rushed to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital with serious injuries and placed in critical condition.
Sergeant Gemma Blackadder, from the Road Policing Unit in Motherwell, said: “Our thoughts are very much with Andrew’s family and friends at what is a very difficult time for them. Enquiries into the full circumstances of this crash continue.”
Tham, who turned professional in 2019 eight years after he fought in the world junior championships at amateur level, won the Scottish Area featherweight championship in September last year – on the undercard of Ricky Burns-Willie Limond – with a rousing stoppage of the 6-0 Jack Turner in Glasgow.
Turner had vowed to win the Braehead Arena bout by knockout but it was Tham who took control early, utilising his fast hands to good effect. Tham scored a knockdown in the third round before forcing an impressive stoppage in the sixth. The bout was broadcast live by BBC Scotland.
Tham was part of the St Andrews Sporting Club stable, headed by Iain Wilson.
“Andy was a champion in the ring, and a character out of the ring,” they stated. “It has been an honor to have him in our stable for the entirety of his professional boxing career and he will be greatly missed by all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”