Rohtak, Nov 27 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday, shared condolences with the family of 16-year-old national basketball player Hardik Rathi, who died tragically after a basketball pole collapsed unexpectedly during practice in his village playground.

Calling the incident a disgrace for the entire nation, the Chief Minister said the entire sports fraternity is anguished over the mishap.

He added that Hardik’s parents never imagined that the son who went to practice to make the country proud will return home lifeless.

Chief Minister Mann said he is an ardent lover of sports and his love for sports brought him to share in the family’s grief during this difficult time.

He called it unfortunate that villagers had repeatedly complained about the poor condition of the basketball court, but no one paid attention.

He said that the Haryana government must take responsibility for this negligence and a member of the bereaved family should be given a government job and appropriate compensation.

Mann added that this tragic accident has exposed the deteriorating sports infrastructure in Haryana.

The Chief Minister said despite tall claims about advancing sports facilities by the Haryana government, the reality on the ground is deplorable.

He added that more than 47 players from this village have represented the country in national and international level tournaments, yet the Haryana government failed to provide proper facilities in its playground, leading to this tragedy.

Mann said it is shameful that although funds had been released for the ground’s repair, not a single penny had been spent for which accountability must be fixed.

The Chief Minister also expressed profound grief and sorrow over the death of another young player, Aman Kumar (15), who died in Bahadurgarh in Haryana when another basketball pole collapsed, adding he demanded strict action in that case too.

He said the Union Sports Ministry should seek reports from all states on the current state of sports grounds to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.

Mann noted that on one hand, India is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, but on the other hand, poor infrastructure is causing the loss of young sports talents.

The Chief Minister said that Union government must introspect that whether the country is truly ready to host world-level competitions or not.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has expressed sorrow over the loss of lives of two young basketball players due to unusual mishaps at Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar and Lakhan Majra in Rohtak districts.

He has also announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased.

“The Haryana government stands with the family members of the deceased youths in this period of grief,” he said in a statement.

Chief Minister Saini has also ordered a thorough inspection of all sports facilities in Haryana.

–IANS

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