10-Yr-Old Cycle Polo Player From Kerala Dies In Nagpur, Association Alleges Discrimination
Thiruvananthapuram, 23rd December 2022: Nida Fathima, a 10-year-old cycle polo player from Alappuzha in Kerala, died in Nagpur on Thursday.
She had felt uneasiness and started vomiting when she was taken to a nearby hospital. She was given an injection following which she collapsed and died in a few minutes. Her post-mortem will take place today at Nagpur.
Nida, a member of the Kerala Cycle Polo Association, was to take part in the under-14 competition of the National Cycle Polo Championship, which began on Friday at Nagpur.
“The Kerala Cycle Polo Association is affiliated with the state government and we had made all the arrangements for the players to reach there. But once they got there, the organisers were to take care of their needs. We are enquiring into what happened in Nida’s case. We will provide all facilities to bring the child’s body back home,” said the Kerala Sports Council president Mercy Kuttan to The News Minute.
The opposition leader VD Satheesan said that both the national sports federation and the state sports council should be held responsible for Nida’s death.
The Kerala contingent is participating in the Championship after getting the court’s special order. Reports say that the players are being neglected by National Federation and that the federation did not provide accommodation to the cycle polo players who have been camping at Nagpur for the last two days.
The Kerala chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan paid his condolences and said that the government will look into the allegations of discrimination. The championship will continue till December 25.
