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Martial arts teenager hospitalised in Malaysia

Handout Ray Williams in a street market in ThailandHandout
Mr Williams became unwell when he was returning home to the UK

A teenager has been hospitalised in intensive care in Malaysia after contracting a staphylococcus infection.

Ray Williams, 18, from Bristol, had taken his first trip abroad to train in Muay Thai martial arts in Thailand.

He was treated with tablets and was on his way back to the UK when he collapsed during a layover on 15 July and was taken to hospital in Malaysia, where he was put in an induced coma.

"If they know him like I do, he is a fighter. We hope he will pull through, and we want people to pray for him," said his coach, Mario Saeed, owner of Trojan Free Fighters Bristol.

Handout Three men wearing jiujitsu gis, photographed in front of a black wallHandout
Ray Williams (l) trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai since the age of 14, under his coach Mario Saeed (centre)

Mr Saeed, the Trojan gym, and the martial arts community in Bristol have raised nearly £11,000 to pay for Mr Williams' family to fly to Malaysia to be with him in hospital.

Mr Williams has now been in a coma for five days, after the infection caused severe damage to his heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.

Before he went abroad, he was training Brazilian jiu-jitsu six times a week, Muay Thai four times a week and had just taken up Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

"He's so likeable, he always put himself forwards for charity events we did," Mr Saeed said.

"I couldn't keep him out of the gym, I had to keep telling him to go home every day after training because he wouldn't leave.

"He couldn't wait to turn 18 to have his first journey alone.

"He was training hard, and just before he came back he texted saying he was looking forward to returning," he added.

Handout Mark McLelland standing to the left of Ray Williams, who has a black gi on and a medal after a competitionHandout
Mark McLelland (l) said Mr Williams was well-liked at the Trojan gym

Mr Williams' other Jiu-Jitsu coach, Mark McLelland, said it was "overwhelming" with how much support the gym has received.

"We just want to help his parents out and help anybody in our gym is a part of our community," he said.

Skin infections can often affect people who train martial arts.

In many cases, they are treatable, but staphylococcus can also cause serious blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome if not treated properly, according to the NHS.

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