Chandigarh: In two separate back-to-back shocking incidents, two minor basketball players, including a national player, died while practicing in the courts after the basketball poles reportedly collapsed and fell on them in Rohtak and Bahadurgarh town of Jhajjar district.
Both the incidents took place at the sports facilities run under the state government.
The deceased have been identified as Aman, 15, of Bahadurgarh and Hardik, 16, of Lakhan Majra in Rohtak district; both the players were class X students.
The first incident was reported from Bahadurgarh on Sunday when Aman had gone to a local stadium for practice when the basketball pole suddenly fell on him, injuring him grievously. He was rushed to civil hospital and later PGIMS in the neighbouring Rohtak district, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The latest tragic incident took place in Lakhan Majra village stadium on Tuesday where Hardik was seriously injured after the basketball pole collapsed on him when he was attempting a dunk during solo practice Tuesday morning. The basket rim along with the iron pole collapsed and fell on him striking his chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. The shocking incident was also captured by a CCTV camera installed near the basketball court.
Hardik had won medals at 47th sub-junior national championship at Kangra, 49th sub-junior nationals (Hyderabad) and 39th youth nationals at Puducherry.
Both the incidents which took place within 48-hours shocked the state as these raised serious questions about the state of sports facilities, quality and maintenance of the equipment installed there.
DISTS SPORTS OFFICERS SUSPENDED
Meanwhile, sensing the gravity of the matter, sports minister Gaurav Gautam on Wednesday suspended the sports officers of the two districts and ordered a high-level inquiry into the incidents ordering inspecting all the sports facilities and removing unsafe equipment from there.
