A 16-year-old national-level basketball player died in Haryana’s Rohtak district on Tuesday after a rusted iron pole of a basketball hoop collapsed on him during practice at Lakhan Majra village.
The boy, Hardik Rathi, was rushed to a nearby hospital by his friends in critical condition but died during treatment, Lakhan Majra police station House Officer Samarjeet Singh said. Police added that his body was handed over to his family after an autopsy at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak. A case has been registered under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, reported Hindustan Times.
Locals claimed that the sports facility had not been maintained for a long time, even though funds for repair were already released by the local MP. Hardik’s father, Sandeep Rathi, a government employee, said that his son was studying in Class 10 and had recently returned from a basketball training camp. Both his sons were enrolled in a nearby sports academy.
A CCTV video showed Hardik taking a run-up and trying to dunk the ball. As he hung on the hoop, the rusted pole suddenly collapsed, and the rim hit him in the chest, causing fatal injuries.
Family members said Hardik had won several national-level medals, including at the 47th Sub-Junior National Championship in Kangra, the 49th Sub-Junior National Championship in Hyderabad, and the 39th Youth National Championship in Puducherry.
According to Hindustan Times report, villagers alleged that former Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda had released over Rs 18 lakh from his MP-LAD fund for stadium maintenance, but officials from the panchayati raj department failed to carry out the work.
Reacting to the tragedy, Rohtak MP Hooda blamed the BJP government and the administrative system, saying Hardik’s death exposed corruption and poor sports infrastructure. He said Hardik was recently selected for the Indian basketball team and had dreams of winning a medal for the country.
Suspended Rohtak district sports officer Anoop Singh said the sports department had released Rs 2.1 crore to the Public Works Department for maintaining 14 stadiums, but tenders were still pending. Villagers had met Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini three months ago, seeking repairs.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
