Tokyo (AFP) - A 21-year-old Japanese boxer died in a Tokyo hospital on Monday, 17 days after he was knocked out during his professional debut, the Japan Boxing Commission said.

Tesshin Okada lost consciousness after the fourth and final round of a super-flyweight match against another professional debutant.

He was rushed to hospital by ambulance and underwent a craniotomy after being diagnosed with an acute subdural haematoma, the commission said.

He was the 38th boxer to die from accidents in matches in Japan since 1952 when the commission was founded.