National-level basketball player dies in freak Rohtak court accident, disturbing CCTV video surfaces

The incident took place around 10 am at the sports ground in Lakhan Majra village.

Updated on: Nov 26, 2025, 14:15:32 IST

By HT News Desk

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In a freak accident, a 16-year-old national-level basketball player in Haryana’s Rohtak lost his life after the iron pole of the basketball hoop suddenly collapsed on him when he grabbed the rim and hung while practicing alone.

The 16-year old boy was practicing alone on the court when the incident took place. (Sourced)

He was reportedly rushed to the hospital in critical condition but could not be saved. The incident took place at the sports ground in Lakhan Majra village.

The victim, identified as Hardik Rathi, was a national-level basketball player who had won medals in several competitions, including the 47th Sub-Junior National Championship in Kangra, the 49th Sub-Junior National Championship in Hyderabad and the 39th Youth National Championship in Puducherry.

A disturbing CCTV footage of the incident that has gone viral showed the teenager practicing alone on the court. According to the CCTV clip, the incident took place at around 10:30 am on Tuesday, November 25.

What happened?

The CCTV footage showed the player sprinting towards the hoop, grabbed the rim while attempting a dunk, and hung for a moment. Almost instantly, the entire iron structure gave way and collapsed, with the rim slamming into his chest.

A group of players, likely his teammates, could be seen running to him immediately afterward.

The video shows him struggling to stand while the others lift the fallen pole off his body.

The 16-year-old was an accomplished athlete who had won medals at several national-level tournaments, including the 47th Sub-Junior National Championship in Kangra, the 49th Sub-Junior National Championship in Hyderabad, and the 39th Youth National Championship in Puducherry.

A similar incident was reported just two days earlier in Bahadurgarh, the report added.

At Hoshiar Singh Sports Stadium in Bahadurgarh, a 15-year-old was injured when a basketball pole fell on him during practice around 3.30 pm. He, too, was admitted to PGI Rohtak and died during treatment.

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