The state of Haryana was once again rocked by the death of a young sportsperson after 21-year-old Gaurav Jain drowned at the Eklavya Stadium in Jindu on Thursday, May 14. A 25-day swimming course ended in tragedy after an aspiring swimmer was found dead in the pool.
The incident took place in a swimming pool located inside the Eklavya Stadium on Safidon Road in Haryana’s Jind district. The devastated family hit out at the authorities, accusing them of gross negligence.
Following a complaint filed by the victim’s family, the Civil Lines police registered an FIR against the pool operator, coach and management members.
HARYANA’S SPORTS DEATH TRAP
The deceased was identified as Gaurav Jain, a resident of Gandhi Gali in Jind. According to his father Sanjay Jain, Gaurav has been attending swimming practice at the stadium for the past 25 days. The family reportedly paid Rs 3,500 for the course, with training sessions scheduled daily from 7pm to 8pm.
Gaurav went to practice on Thursday night but did not return home until around 8.30 pm. Concerned about the delay, family members began searching for him and eventually reached the stadium grounds. Sanjay claimed that the family was initially prevented from entering the swimming pool premises.
“When we forcibly entered the premises, we saw Gaurav’s body floating in the pool,” claimed Sanjay.
The grieving father further claimed that the pool staff and trainer refused to help even after the body was found. According to him, he and his nephew had to pull the body out of the water themselves and rush Gaurav on a motorbike to the hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
The family also made serious allegations against the management, claiming that an electric current was allegedly released into the pool during cleaning. Sanjay claimed that electricity went through the water while his son was swimming, leading to his death.
The incident sparked outrage among family members and local residents who later met Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Krishna Midha, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Imran Raza and Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh and demanded immediate arrest in the case.
Civil Lines SHO Pooja confirmed that a case was registered based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father. Police said the body has been sent for post-mortem and further investigation is underway.
VINESH PHOGAT RESPECTS HARYANA GOVERNMENT
This is not the first time someone has died at a sports venue in Haryana in the last 12 months. In November 2025, two basketball players were killed after an iron basketball bar fell on them during practice.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, one of Haryana’s biggest sports icons, criticized the state government and local sports bodies for what she called continued negligence in maintaining sports infrastructure.
In a lengthy post on X, Phogat said Gaurav Jain’s death was not a “freak accident” and directly questioned Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam about safety standards at the facility.
“When I raised a demand in the Assembly to build a swimming pool at Ramrai village in Julana constituency, Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam ji replied that there is already an Olympic-level swimming pool in Jind,” Phogat wrote.
“Today, entire Haryana is witnessing the condition of this so-called Olympic pool. Athletes are being charged but safety measures seem to be non-existent,” she added.
Phogat also questioned the coaching and monitoring systems at the facility, saying the number of athletes using the venue had increased over the years while security measures remained inadequate.
“This is not the first case. Earlier too, sportspersons lost their lives in Haryana after being crushed under basketball hoops. That time, instead of taking responsibility, attempts were made to distance themselves from the matter,” she said.
The Olympian further asked who will be held responsible for Gaurav’s death and whether the sports department will again try to evade responsibility.
“It is easy to make speeches and advertisements in the name of sports. Providing a safe environment for sportspersons is the real responsibility of the government,” Phogat said.
“If stadiums and sports facilities themselves begin to take the lives of athletes, then such a sports model should be a shame.”
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
May 16, 2026 5:53 PM IST
