The victim, identified as I Nengah Sudana, aged about 50, was attending a tajen, or traditional Balinese cockfight, in the city of Denpasar on Sunday afternoon when the incident occurred.
Local media reported that one of the roosters, which had been outfitted with a sharp metal spur known as a taji, lashed out during the match and struck Sudana in the stomach.
“There was a fatality caused by the blade of a fighting rooster at the cockfighting arena in Abian Tubuh, Kesiman, East Denpasar,” police spokesman I Ketut Sukadi told local news outlet Detik on Monday.
Police said Sudana had been watching a cockfight when one of the roosters suddenly broke free before the match began and lunged towards another bird. A man nearby managed to dodge the attack, but Sudana, standing close by, was struck by the rooster’s taji.
“The victim, who was standing next to [the other spectator], was unable to avoid the attacking rooster and was struck, causing a wound,” Sukadi said.
