Basketball Player Death: National-level basketball player Hardik Rathi, tragically died in Rohtak, Haryana, after a freak accident on the court. While practicing at the basketball court, an iron pole fell on the 16-year-old's chest, causing fatal injuries.
The heartbreaking accident occurred in Lakhan Majra, Rohtak, while Hardik was carrying out his routine practice drills. During the session, a basketball pole collapsed on him, and the entire incident was recorded on CCTV near the court.
The CCTV footage showed Hardik holding onto the basketball rim when the pole suddenly uproots and topples over him. His friends immediately rushed to help and managed to lift the pole off his body, but the injuries proved irreversible.
While speaking to Republic, Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam conveyed heartfelt condolences to Hardik’s family, affirming that the state government stands in full support of them and will work to address their concerns.
Gaurav Gautam emphasized that such heartbreaking incidents should not be politicized. He also directed all district sports officers to carry out inspections of sports grounds to ensure similar tragedies are avoided in the future.
The minister further stated that the Haryana government has made substantial investments in maintaining sports infrastructure in the state.
Earlier, on Thursday, November 27, Hardik Rathi’s father, Sandeep, along with his coach, Mohit, spoke to Republic and held the Haryana Government responsible for the tragic death of the young basketball player.
"We consider the government to be responsible for the death of our child. The government murdered the child," Mohit Rathi said to Republic.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Rathi also urged the Haryana government to improve sports infrastructure to avert any such incidents in the near future.
"My demand from the government is that there should be an indoor stadium built in our village, and it should be named after my son Hardik. So that the children from our village can practice for international matches. I would also ask the government to improve the infrastructure so that any such incident can be avoided in the future," Sandeep Rathi said.
Hardik Rathi’s tragic death during basketball practice was not the only incident in Haryana. In a similar case, 15-year-old basketball player Aman also lost his life recently during practice. The back-to-back fatalities of young athletes have sparked grave concerns over the state’s sports infrastructure and safety standards.
