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A 16-year-old national-level basketball player and another teenager died in separate accidents after basketball hoops collapsed on them at courts in Haryana’s Rohtak and neighbouring Bahadurgarh over the last two days.
In Rohtak’s Lakhan Majra village, national-level basketball player Hardik Rathi lost his life when the iron pole of a basketball hoop collapsed on his chest during practice Tuesday morning. Just two days earlier, a 15-year-old boy, Aman, suffered similar injuries in Bahadurgarh when a hoop pole fell on him. Despite receiving treatment at Rohtak’s PGIMS, he succumbed to injuries late Monday night.
CCTV footage from Lakhan Majra shows Hardik reaching for the hoop, attempting to hang from it, when the pole suddenly gave way and crushed him. His cousin Khadak Singh recalled that Hardik was rushed to a hospital within twenty minutes but could not be saved.
Expressing anger, he said, “This is not a death but a murder.” He explained that two years ago, Rs 11 lakh had been sanctioned from the Member of Parliament quota for sports infrastructure, and although a tender was issued two months ago, no work was carried out despite repeated reminders to the department.
Another sportsperson, Rohit Rathi, echoed these concerns. He noted that officials had inspected the site after the tender was issued but failed to act, even though the pole was visibly weak. He added that Hardik had been selected for the upcoming national basketball games, and more than 20 young athletes regularly train at the Lakhan Majra stadium, which falls under the panchayat department.
The Director General of Haryana Sports Department described the incidents as serious and unfortunate, acknowledging that two promising athletes had died due to dilapidated equipment.
In an official communication on Wednesday, he instructed that “If there are dilapidated sports infrastructure at the sports complexes, they should be stopped for the sportspersons. These instruments should be immediately repaired with the funds available with the District Sports Council”.
Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam announced that the Rohtak district sports officer has been suspended and that activities at the sports nursery have been halted. He assured that strict action will follow after a high-level inquiry, stating that measures will be taken to ensure such tragedies are not repeated.
Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “This is not a simple accident or a normal death, but a death caused by sheer government negligence. Hardik was a national-level player with a bright future, having already signed with a club in the United States. Similarly, Aman, just 15 years old, was also a promising player. The untimely deaths of these two young players have shocked the entire state.”
He added, “The Congress demands an impartial, high-level investigation into this matter and strict action against the culprits. An FIR should be filed against those responsible for the negligence, and action should be taken to teach the entire system a lesson. Additionally, the families of both deceased players should be immediately given government jobs and adequate financial assistance.”
The former CM stated that MP Deepender Hooda had donated Rs 12.3 lakh and then another Rs 6.2 lakh for the Lakhan Majra ground, but all the money remained on paper, with nothing happening on the ground.
“Haryana’s sports policy has completely stalled since the BJP government came to power. There is no new sports policy, no coaching system, no talent hunt program, and no infrastructure maintenance. The condition of stadiums in places like Charkhi Dadri, Ambala, Sirsa, Kurukshetra, and others, including the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex in Rohtak, is deteriorating,” he pointed out.
“During the Congress government, we appointed medal-winning athletes to high-ranking positions like DSP. But today’s government is neither providing jobs nor incentives to athletes. They make big promises during elections, but once in power, nothing happens. There are no teachers in schools, no police in police stations, and no staff in offices,” Hooda added.
He emphasised that despite being a small state, Haryana has consistently won the most medals in the Olympics and Paralympics. “This was the result of the Congress’s far-sighted sports policy, which made Haryana a hub for sports in the country and the world. But today, the BJP government pays no attention to sports.”
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