Teen gymnast dies after neck injury at School Games; family alleges negligence

New Delhi: A promising gymnast from Madhya Pradesh, Ujair Ali, died after suffering a neck injury during the School Games Nationals in Kolkata, prompting his family to allege negligence and accuse officials accompanying the state contingent of abandoning the 16-year-old boy after admitting him to a West Bengal govt-run medical facility.

Ujair, from Ujjain, died on Jan 28 at Kolkata’s IPGMER SSKM hospital after battling for life for 12 days following the injury suffered on Jan 16 during a warm-up session ahead of his competition round.



Ujair was attempting a double backflip when he lost balance after falling from the balance beam and landed on his neck, dislocating his C4 and C5 vertebrae. The 69th School Games Nationals in U-17 and U-19 boys and girls’ categories was attended by over 800 age-group gymnasts from 44 state units affiliated with the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), and was held at the BNR indoor stadium.

The national-level gymnast and a two-time state junior champion in the artistic event, was rushed to the hospital by the team’s coach Aman Verma and Hemant Vishwakarma, a team manager.

Sources in the SSKM hospital said the boy suffered severe upper cervical vertebrae dislocation. “Such high energy trauma injuries are often fatal due to brain stem compression, immediate neurological injury, or respiratory arrest,” the sources added.

Ujair’s cousin brother Imran Ali alleged the coaches and managers accompanying the team left for their hometowns in MP the next day, on Jan 17, without staying back with the hospitalised Ujair. When contacted, Ram Baniyar, one of the managers, said that he left for Bhopal as there were 42 other junior athletes who needed to get back home.

The medical expenses of Ujair’s treatment was borne by the West Bengal govt, however, Ujair’s family wanted him to be admitted to a private hospital and surgery performed on him within 48 hours.

Alok Khare, joint director, MP state education department, said the govt will soon provide financial assistance to Ujair’s family. SGFI’s secretary Amarjeet Sharma, who initially stated that he was not aware of such an incident, later informed that the federation will extend all help to the family.



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