Haryana Basketball Tragedy: Father Recalls 15-Year-Old Player's Last Words

After

a tragic accident claimed the life of a young national-level basketball player in Haryana's Rohtak, another similar incident shook the nation. Aman Kumar, a resident of Bahadurgarh, was fatally injured when an iron pole at a government school collapsed. The 15-year-old basketball player died during treatment at the hospital on Monday night.Aman was practicing at the Brigadier Hoshiar Singh Stadium when the 20-year-old basketball pole collapsed on the class 10 student, crushing his organs and ending his life in just a day.His father, Suresh Kumar, recalled his son's last words, as he told TOI, "He told me, 'Papa, take me in your lap, my pain is unbearable.' Those were his last words."

National Level Basketball Player Hardik Rathi Died

On Thursday, another teenage basketball player, Hardik Rathi, died in a similar incident. A 16-year-old national-level player was practicing at the basketball court. In the shocking on-court accident, caught on CCTV, he was seen leaping toward the hoop and attempting to hang from it. As he held onto the rim, the iron pole suddenly collapsed onto his chest.His father, Sandeep Rathi, said that just a day earlier, his son told him he would "play for India in 2026".Also Read: Crumbling Sports Grounds in Haryana Exposed: CCTV Captures Fatal Pole Fall That Killed National-Level Basketball Player

Was it the administration's fault?

The national-level player's father, Sandeep Rathi, blamed the administration for not having adequate facilities for the players."I consider this the fault of the administration. If they work properly, then we won't lose our sportspersons... Our demand is to provide adequate facilities to the players so that they can play for the country in the future," he told ANI.Hardik’s brother, Khadak Singh, said they had repeatedly warned officials about the deteriorating pole. “It was his dream to lead India’s basketball team one day,” he said, adding that the 16-year-old trained twice daily and never missed competitions.The tragedies, reported from Rohtak and Bahadurgarh, sparked outrage, with families, local players, and opposition leaders accusing the state government of neglecting sports infrastructure.