A junior national-level basketball participant and one other teen died in eerily related accidents throughout observe in Haryana after the basketball hoop’s iron pole fell on them, police mentioned on Wednesday, as the dual tragedies put a highlight on crumbling sports activities infrastructure within the State.
Whereas 16-year-old Hardik Rathi, who had taken half within the nationwide sub-junior basketball championship, died in Rohtak on Tuesday, Aman, one yr youthful, breathed his final on Monday.
The incidents, which got here to gentle on Wednesday, led to widespread outrage with anguished relations blaming the institution for dilapidated sports activities infrastructure.
Hardik’s dying was captured in vivid element on CCTV cameras. The footage confirmed the teen reaching for the ring. As quickly as he makes an attempt to hold from it, the pole collapses and crushes him underneath it.
The rods supporting the basketball pole have been rusted, native gamers on the Lakhan Majra village who practise with him advised reporters. They rushed Hardik to a hospital the place he died, SHO Samarjeet Singh mentioned.
Khadak Singh, Hardik’s cousin, mentioned the situation of the iron pole had been dropped at the discover of the officers on a number of events however nothing was achieved to repair it.
Holding the sports activities division and the federal government chargeable for his brother’s dying, which he alleged was not a dying however homicide, Khadak advised reporters that Hardik by no means missed any competitors, be it Underneath-14 or U-17. It was his dream to guide the Indian basketball crew someday.
“Hardik skilled twice a day. As quickly as he tried to the touch the ring on Tuesday morning, it obtained uprooted and fell on his chest, resulting in inside bleeding, which proved deadly, he mentioned.
Haryana Growth and Panchayat Minister Krishan Lal Panwar mentioned, “Haryana Olympic Affiliation will write to sports activities and schooling departments to hold out inspection of the sports activities tools, infrastructure and instantly change the broken one.” Minister of State for Sports activities Gaurav Gautam advised reporters in Ambala {that a} high-level probe will likely be held and anybody discovered chargeable for the unhappy and unlucky incident will face motion.
“We now have suspended the district sports activities officer,” he mentioned when requested about Hardik’s dying.
“As per info, it was a sports activities nursery underneath the panchayat and the actions there have been halted for now,” Gautam mentioned.
He mentioned the tragedy is a profound shock to the complete sports activities world.
The incident is unacceptable at any degree, he added.
Within the wake of the 2 incidents, the minister has additionally known as a gathering of district sports activities officers on November 28.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini advised reporters right here Wednesday morning that he’ll first collect all the main points earlier than commenting on the matter.
Officers in Rohtak and Bahadurgarh mentioned the circumstances resulting in the collapse of the iron poles in each incidents, together with the situation of the tools, are being probed.
On Sunday, Aman went to the basketball courtroom within the premises of a authorities college for observe. He was critically injured after the iron pole fell on him and died at PGIMS Rohtak throughout remedy on Monday evening, SHO (Metropolis) Dinkar Yadav mentioned.
“We got here to know that the pole was not in good condition and a few youngsters had climbed it and it fell,” mentioned Jhajjar District Sports activities Officer Satender Kumar.
Suresh, Aman’s father, who was inconsable, advised reporters that his son may have been saved, however rued the apathetic perspective of the hospital authorities the place he was referred.
From Civil hospital in Bahadurgarh, he was referred to PGIMS hospital Rohtak, we have been requested to attend and transfer round from one place to a different, he claimed.
Suresh mentioned they saved pleading with the hospital employees to instantly attend to {the teenager}, “however remedy didn’t start immediately and within the course of essential time was misplaced. Even the admission time of the affected person entered in his card was talked about three hours extra after we had entered the hospital, and the info might be verified from the hospital’s CCTV document”.
He mentioned not too long ago his son had gained a silver and two gold medals in class video games.
“It was Sunday and we have been anticipating some friends and I advised my son to remain again, however destiny had one thing else in retailer and he insisted that he will likely be again quickly from the observe. However he by no means returned,” mentioned Suresh.
In the meantime, Khadak claimed that Congress MP Deepender Hooda obtained two grounds constructed within the village in Rohtak, and in 2023 sanctioned Rs 11 lakh from his MPLADS funds however the officers involved sat over it and didn’t restore the basketball pole.
A young was issued two months in the past, however no work was carried out, he mentioned.
Those that witnessed Hardik’s accident have been traumatised.
“We have been practising and Hardik was taking part in with us. Once we took a brief break, he continued his observe, mentioned Rohit, a budding basketball participant.
Gulab Singh, Hardik’s grandfather, mentioned that it was {the teenager}’s dream to turn into captain of the nationwide crew someday.
In keeping with Hardik’s coach, he had gained medals in national-level basketball competitions, together with the forty seventh Sub-Junior Nationwide Championship in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra, the forty ninth Sub-Junior Nationwide Championship in Hyderabad and the thirty ninth Youth Nationwide Championship in Puducherry and was to participate in one other nationwide occasion.
Printed on Nov 26, 2025