Vinesh Phogat has voiced the anguish of an entire state after two young athletes lost their lives in separate but eerily similar incidents at sports grounds in Haryana. The wrestler-turned-politician took to Instagram to express her outrage, writing that “the death of 17-year-old Hardik and 15-year-old Aman in a sports head state like Haryana has shaken the whole state. This is not an accident, this is direct administrative negligence. It’s not the failure of the system but the murder of the system.” Her words captured the grief, frustration and anger that now grips Haryana’s sporting community.
The tragedy that unfolded in Rohtak on November 25 has left the state stunned. Hardik, a promising basketball player, died after an iron pole collapsed on him during practice at a playground in Lakhan Majra. He had been practising alone on the basketball court around 10 am when he attempted to hang from the basket rim, a routine action for any basketball player. But the pole, already unstable, gave way instantly.
CCTV footage shows Hardik jumping toward the hoop and, in the very next moment, the entire metal structure buckling, tilting forward and crashing directly onto his chest. The violent fall of the hoop and backboard pinned him to the ground as nearby players rushed toward him in shock, desperately lifting the heavy frame off his body. Hardik was immediately taken to PGI Rohtak, where doctors tried to save him, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after. His death has devastated his family and community.
A similar incident took place a few days prior
What makes the grief even deeper is that this was the second such tragedy in just two days. On November 23, Aman, a 15-year-old player, died after a basketball pole collapsed on him at the Hoshiar Singh Stadium in Bahadurgarh. He had arrived for his practice session around 3:30 pm when the pole suddenly toppled, striking him with fatal force. He too was rushed to PGI Rohtak, but he could not be saved.
The incidents have sparked calls for urgent inspections of basketball poles, gym equipment and all structural fixtures in stadiums and public playgrounds. Parents, coaches and athletes now fear for basic safety, something that should be fundamental in a state that prides itself on producing national and international sports talent.
As Haryana mourns the loss of two young lives, the words of Vinesh Phogat linger heavily: this wasn’t misfortune, it was preventable. And unless swift action is taken, the fear is that Hardik and Aman’s deaths will not be the last reminder of a system that failed its children.
