Vikram Singh, a 39-year-old wheelchair cricketer from Punjab, passed away from cardiac arrest while travelling by train from Ludhiana to Gwalior. He was on his way to take part in the seventh edition of the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Memorial T-10 Championship, which was set to begin on June 5.
According to reports, Vikram began feeling unwell as the train passed through Delhi. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he was found unresponsive when the train reached Mathura Junction on Wednesday morning.
His teammate, Somjeet Singh Gaur, revealed that despite informing the Railways GRP (Government Railway Police) staff onboard, help did not arrive in time. The train was also delayed by nearly 90 minutes before it finally reached Mathura.
“Vikram started playing wheelchair cricket in Ludhiana 8-9 years ago and would practice on his own and bear all expenses through whatever means he could get. Last year, he played an important role in the Punjab team winning the title in the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Memorial T-10 Championship. He was excited about playing in this edition too. When our train was crossing Delhi, he complained of a severe headache and was sweating profusely. We informed the Railways GRP personnel on the train. They told us that doctors would be available at Mathura station. Vikram slept. Later, the train waited for over an hour ahead of Mathura station and we lost Vikram. We informed his family and they will reach here soon to take his body back home. We are also returning to Punjab,” Vikram’s teammate quoted in The Indian Express report.
Vikram’s teammates expressed anger and disappointment over what they called the Railways’ indifference. They claim that the staff failed to take Vikram’s health complaint seriously, which might have cost him his life.
As news of the incident spread, several disability rights groups began to question the lack of urgency shown by the authorities in handling a medical emergency involving a specially-abled athlete.
Vikram, who hailed from Pohir village near Ahmedgarh in Punjab’s Malerkotla district, was a self-made sportsman. Despite his physical challenges, he built a name for himself in the field of wheelchair cricket.
In 2020, he received a call-up to the Indian wheelchair cricket team for a bilateral series against Bangladesh. Unfortunately, that series never happened due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
