Rohtak/Bahadurgarh, November 26: Two teenagers practicing basketball in Rohtak and Jhajjar died in unrelated accidents after the court poles fell on them, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
The first incident involved Aman, 15, from Bahadurgarh, who went for routine practice on Sunday. Witnesses said the pole gave way without warning, trapping him beneath. He was initially taken to the civil hospital and later referred to PGIMS Rohtak. “Doctors tried to save him, but the injuries were too severe,” a hospital official said. He died Monday night and was cremated the next morning.
In the second case, Hardik, 16, a Lakhan Majra resident and a former sub-junior national participant, was hurt when a pole snapped as he attempted to touch the basket on Tuesday. CCTV cameras installed near the court recorded the collapse. Fellow players rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. “He was talented and disciplined. No one imagined something like this could happen on a routine day,” a senior player from the area said.
The two deaths, reported barely 24 hours apart, have triggered grief across both districts. “Such accidents raise serious questions about stadium upkeep,” a district official noted, adding that inquiries are underway.
