The Haryana Sports Department has issued urgent instructions to all district sports officers following the recent deaths of two state athletes caused by dilapidated sports equipment. In a letter circulated by the Director General of Sports, officials across all districts have been ordered to immediately repair unsafe sports infrastructure and discontinue the use of damaged equipment.
The Director General wrote that the loss of "two promising players of the state" during training due to broken equipment was "a serious and unfortunate matter." District sports officers have now been directed to inspect every departmental sports complex under their jurisdiction and ensure that any equipment posing an injury risk is removed from use without delay.
The circular also instructs officials to stop the use of any deteriorated sports infrastructure and to carry out repairs using funds available with the District Sports Council. Where the Directorate has already released funds to the Public Works Department or the Sports and Physical Fitness Authority of Haryana for repair or reconstruction, officers have been told to coordinate immediately with the concerned departments to expedite restoration.
The letter states that officers must ensure no damaged equipment or unsafe buildings remain in use in any sports complex, warning that they will be held personally responsible for any negligence in complying with these instructions.
Hardik's family has alleged that the rusted pole involved in the fatal accident had not been repaired despite multiple appeals, according to an NDTV report.
His cousin, Khadak Singh Rathi, said the family's loss was immeasurable. "Hardik was a decent, focused boy. His dream was to lead India in basketball," he said.
Rathi directly blamed the Haryana government and the state sports department for the tragedy. "I plead to the Haryana government: I have lost my brother, but I do not want any other family to lose their son. They should get these courts repaired so that children do not have to risk their lives to win medals," he added.
He also stated that the court where the incident occurred had been constructed in 2009 with support from Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda. "You can see the condition of the rusted pole. The sports academy's coach met with authorities at least 10 times, but no action was taken. An inspection had warned that this pole could fall any day," he said.
Congress leader Hooda criticised the BJP government in Haryana, alleging that "criminal negligence" had cost the life of a gifted young athlete. Citing the NDTV report, he said the state government had not funded stadiums for the past 11 years and pointed out that all existing facilities were built under the Congress administration.
Hooda added that he had allocated Rs 18 lakh from his MP fund for upgrading sports infrastructure, but the money was not used. "Why? Because I am an opposition member. But this incident shows the policy and intention of this government," he said.
In the aftermath of the accident, Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam suspended one official and instructed district administrations to inspect sports facilities and repair any unsafe or deteriorated equipment.