Tragic Death of Teen Basketball Star Hardik Rathi: Government Negligence and Unsafe Sports Facilities

The rusted pole broke and fell on Hardik, its full weight on his chest. He died soon after

Chandigarh:

The Haryana government's sports department has been held accountable for the tragic death of 16-year-old national-level basketball player Hardik Rathi in Rohtak. According to his relative, the rusted pole that caused the fatal accident was not repaired despite numerous requests.

In a conversation with NDTV, Hardik's cousin Khadak Singh Rathi expressed that their family has experienced an irreplaceable loss. "Hardik was a decent, focused boy. His dream was to lead India in basketball."

Hardik, the elder of two brothers, was enrolled along with his sibling in a basketball academy in Rohtak's Lakhan Majra by their father. His dedication was evident in his rigorous six-hour daily practice schedule - from 4 am to 7 am and again from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Khadak Singh mentioned that whenever the teenagers had free time or school holidays, they would immediately head to the court for additional practice.

Yesterday around 10:30 am, Hardik was practicing on the court. CCTV footage captured him jumping and touching the basket. During one of these jumps, he grabbed the basket's rim, causing the pole to collapse onto him. His friends, who appeared to be taking a break, quickly rushed to the court. They lifted the pole and freed Hardik, but the damage was already done.

Khadak Singh explained that the basketball board struck Hardik's chest, resulting in internal bleeding that led to his death.

"I hold the Haryana government and the sports department responsible for this tragedy. I plead to the Haryana government: I have lost my brother, but I don't want any other family to suffer such a loss. They should repair these courts so children don't have to risk their lives to win medals," he stated.

According to Khadak Singh, the court where the incident occurred was constructed in 2009 with support from Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda. "The condition of the rusted pole speaks for itself. The sports academy's coach approached authorities at least 10 times, but no action was taken. An inspection had warned that this pole could collapse at any moment," he revealed.

Hardik's family shared that he began playing basketball at age 11 and had been competing at the national level for five years. He was training for an upcoming tournament in Nepal.

Congress leader Hooda strongly criticized the BJP government in Haryana, stating that criminal negligence has claimed the life of a talented young athlete. "For the past 11 years, the BJP's Haryana government has ceased funding for stadiums. All these stadiums were built under the Congress government."

Hooda mentioned allocating Rs 18 lakh from his MP fund to improve sports facilities, but the money remained unused. "Why? Because I'm an opposition member. This incident reveals the policy and intention of this government," he said.

Following the tragedy, Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam has suspended one official and directed district administrations to inspect sports facilities and repair deteriorating equipment.