"He Never Returned Home": Abhinav Bindra On Young Basketball Player's Death

India's Olympic gold medal-winning shooter Abhinav Bindra extended his condolences to the family of the young basketball player who died after a freak accident in Haryana's Rohtak. Hardik Rathi, 16, was practising on the court in Lakhan Majra on Tuesday when a rusty pole fell on him. In a viral video, Hardik, a national-level basketball player, was attempting a slam dunk when the pole suddenly collapsed on him. His friends rushed to help, but the damage was done. The teenager died soon after. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Bindra shared an emotional post, describing the chilling incident as "tragic."

"My heart is with the family of the young basketball player who tragically lost his life in Haryana. A child stepped onto a court with joy and energy, simply wanting to play... and he never returned home. It is a pain no parent, no family, should ever have to endure," Bindra wrote in a detailed post.

"Moments like this stay with us. They remind us how precious and fragile a child's dream is, and how much care and attention must go into the spaces where our young people play and grow. Every child should feel safe when they step onto a playground, a field or a court."

Several pictures went on viral on social media showing that the pole was in a bad shape. Highlighting the same, Bindra emphasised the need to "look after our sporting spaces with greater responsibility".

"As we hold this young boy in our thoughts, may his memory guide us to do better, to look after our sporting spaces with greater responsibility, and to ensure that every child feels protected as they discover the joy of sport."

Hardik's neighbours said he had been selected for the national team and had recently returned from a training camp. His father, Sandeep Rathi, had enrolled Hardik and his younger brother at a sports club near their home, where they could learn and practice. Police said they recovered the body and handed it over to the family after the post-mortem. A case has been registered. 

Shockingly, a similar incident took place in Haryana's Bahadurgarh district. Fifteen-year-old Aman was practising at a stadium when a basketball pole fell on him. Aman suffered internal injuries and died at Rohtak's Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, or PGIMS, late on Monday. According to reports, Aman's family members have accused doctors at PGIMS of not providing proper care to the teenager. Aman was a Class 10 student who recently won a medal in his school's annual sports event.