In a devastating blow to Indian basketball, 16-year-old prodigy Hardik Rathi died in a freak accident on 25 November 2025, when a rusted basketball pole collapsed during practice in Rohtak, Haryana, crushing his chest and extinguishing a promising career. This national team hopeful, celebrated for medals in youth nationals, highlights the dire state of sports infrastructure, sparking outrage over maintenance negligence and safety lapses amid rising youth athlete tragedies. As CCTV footage circulates, showing the horrifying moment, calls intensify for accountability, with families decrying systemic failures that claim young lives in Haryana’s basketball death crisis. Hardik Rathi’s Rise in Basketball Hardik Rathi, a Class 10 student from Lakhan Majra village, began playing basketball at age 11, dedicating six hours daily to training at a local academy. He secured medals in the 47th Sub-Junior National Championship in Kangra, the 49th in Hyderabad, and the 39th Youth National in Puducherry, earning acclaim as a rising star. Recently returned from a national training camp, Hardik had signed with a US club, harbouring dreams of representing India internationally. His father, Sandeep Rathi, a government employee, enrolled both sons in the sport, fostering Hardik’s passion that saw him compete relentlessly in Under-14 and Under-17 events. Neighbours recall his focus, with one stating, ‘Hardik never missed a competition; his dream was to lead the Indian basketball team one day.’ This talent’s untimely end underscores lost potential in Indian youth sports. The Freak Accident and Harrowing Footage On 25 November 2025, around 10: 30am, Hardik practised alone at a village panchayat-run court when he sprinted for a dunk, grabbing the rim-triggering the unstable, rusted pole to uproot and slam into his chest. Friends rushed over, lifting the structure, but he suffered fatal internal bleeding and was declared dead at PGIMS Rohtak despite prompt hospitalisation. Chilling CCTV footage, widely shared, captures the split-second collapse, amplifying public horror. A verified X post from @Deb_livnletliv echoes the shock, questioning governance: ‘Bad Infrastructure, Maintenance and Governance Selected for Nationals, Promising Basketball player Hardik Rathi succumbs after a basketball pole falls on him.’ This mirrors a prior incident on 23 November 2025, where 15-year-old Aman died similarly in Bahadurgarh. Negligence, Investigations, and Broader Crisis Family members, including cousin Khadak Singh, allege the pole’s dilapidated state was reported over 10 times since 2023, despite a £7, 170 ($11,000) repair grant, yet work stalled-calling it ‘not a death, but murder.’ Haryana Olympic Association suspended events for three days, the district sports officer was suspended, and the sports nursery shut pending probe. Chief Minister Nayab Saini pledged inquiry and action, while opposition leaders like Deepender Hooda decried 11 years of funding neglect. Experts warn of recurring risks in under-maintained facilities, with peers voicing fears: ‘We don’t want to feel unsafe at local courts.’ Statewide inspections ordered highlight the urgent need for infrastructure overhaul to protect emerging talents. Drawing widespread condemnation, opposition leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanded a high-level probe into the incidents, describing them as ‘not a simple accident or a normal death, but a death caused by sheer government negligence.’.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/indian-basketball-player-hardik-rathi-dies-freak-accident-national-team-hopeful-crushed-falling-1758432