Rohtak/Bahadurgarh: Haryana’s sports administration has come under intense scrutiny after two teenage basketball players lost their lives within 48 hours in separate incidents involving the collapse of basketball poles. The back-to-back tragedies in Rohtak and Bahadurgarh have exposed severe lapses in safety standards across sports facilities in the state.
Following the emergence of CCTV footage capturing the death of 16-year-old Hardik Rathi, District Sports Officer Anoop Singh has been suspended. A committee has been constituted to investigate the incidents and recommend urgent improvements in sports equipment and infrastructure. The renowned Lakhan Majra Basketball Nursery has also been suspended.
How the First Incident Unfolded
The first tragedy occurred on Tuesday at Lakhan Majra near Rohtak. Hardik Rathi, a national-level basketball player and a Class 10 student, was practicing on a local court when he ran toward the basketball pole, grabbed it, and the structure suddenly collapsed.
The pole, weighing nearly 750 kg, fell directly on his chest. CCTV footage seized by police shows the horrifying moment the pole snapped and crushed him. Fellow players rushed to lift the pole and took Hardik to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Hardik had represented Haryana in several national tournaments, winning silver at the 47th Sub-Junior National Championship (Kangra) and bronze medals at national events in Hyderabad and Puducherry.
Second Death in Bahadurgarh
In a similar tragedy, 15-year-old Aman, who was injured when a basketball pole collapsed at the Shaheed Brigadier Hoshiar Singh Stadium in Bahadurgarh, succumbed to his injuries on Monday night.
The twin incidents, strikingly similar in nature, have intensified concerns about the condition and maintenance of sports equipment across Haryana.
Police, Officials React
Lakhan Majra SHO Samarjeet Singh confirmed that Hardik’s post-mortem has been completed and the body handed over to the family. Officials revealed that maintenance of the Lakhan Majra Stadium—under the Gram Panchayat—had been stalled for four years despite funds being sanctioned under the MP quota.
Local representatives expressed anguish. Sarpanch representative Sandeep Singh said the village lost a promising athlete due to negligence. Work worth nearly ₹20 lakh was approved under the MP fund to upgrade facilities and was scheduled to begin within a month.
Basketball Federation Seeks Ground Safety Reports
Ajay Sheoran, President of the Basketball Federation of Haryana, expressed deep sorrow and confirmed that Hardik was part of the state’s Under-17 team that ranked third nationally. The federation has asked all district officials to submit detailed reports on the safety of basketball courts across the state.
Basketball coach Amit Hooda said the sports community is in mourning, adding that Hardik’s selection for the national team was almost certain.
Letter to Chief Minister: Call for Ban on Cemented Courts
Advocate Rajnarayan Panghal has written to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, demanding immediate reforms and safety protocols. He stated that cemented basketball courts, commonly found in schools and colleges across Haryana, pose serious risks to players’ knees, ankles, and spinal health, and increase the chances of pole-related accidents.
He urged the state to:
- Approve only indoor wooden courts for new basketball grounds
- Impose a complete ban on constructing cemented courts
- Implement mandatory pole anchoring standards
- Fix clear responsibility on coaches and administrators
- Conduct urgent safety audits of all existing courts
He argued that such steps are crucial not only to save lives but also to restore public trust in Haryana’s sports system.
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