Rohtak, Dec. 4 -- Budding players have flagged lapses in maintenance and basic facilities at Rohtak's Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex and Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium, weeks after two teenage basketball players died in separate incidents due to collapse of rusted iron poles on basketball courts in Rohtak and Bahadurgarh. Hardik Rathi, 16, who had participated in the national sub-junior basketball championship, died in Rohtak's Lakhan Majra on November 6 after an iron pole supporting the basketball hoop crashed onto him during practice. A day earlier, 15-year-old Aman from Jhajjar lost his life in Bahadurgarh in a similar accident. The twin tragedies have renewed scrutiny on the deteriorating condition of government sports infrastructure in the state. The Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex, constructed on 112 acres in 2012, is in a dilapidated condition. Players complain of broken windows, peeling plaster, choked washbasins, loose doors, shattered chairs and damaged fibre mats. The basketball court is marked by uneven, rough surfaces, making it unfit for practice. Rusted iron poles and damaged fencing, cited as hazards by players, were removed after the recent deaths. The iron fencing installed to protect the basketball court is also damaged. Daksh, a 12-year-old basketball player who has been practicing at the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex for more than a year, said the basketball court is unfit to play due to its rough surface. "Chairs are broken. Bushes have grown around the court. Toilets are unusable. There's no drinking water. Changing room is not there. Players often slip and get injured," he said. Another young player, Gaurav Kumar, 17, points to garbage strewn across the premises, damaged volleyball and athletic tracks, lack of lighting and the presence of stray dogs and monkeys. "This stadium was built to international standards, but in recent years no repair or maintenance has been done," he claimed, adding that many parents are shifting their children to private academies. At Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium, players complained of uneven athletic track, women players have to face a lot of inconvenience due to the unavailability of washrooms. Rohtak Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra, who visited the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex last week, said the yoga hall was littered with pigeon droppings and toilets were unusable due to accumulated filth. "The state government has failed to ensure maintenance of sports complexes across the state. The Congress will bring a stop-work motion in the winter session of the Haryana assembly to highlight the crumbling infrastructure of stadiums in the state," he added. Sudesh, who was given the charge of Rohtak district sports officer after the suspension of Anoop Singh, said more than Rs.3 crore has been released for maintenance and infrastructural development of the Rajiv Gandhi stadium. "Funds for Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium will also be released soon. The iron poles at Rajiv Gandhi stadium have been removed. Other facilities will also be improved," she added. When contacted, Sunita Khatri, deputy director of the Rohtak sports division, said the department has released Rs.2.1 crore to the public works department for the maintenance of 14 stadiums in the district. "All rusted iron poles and equipment in bad shape have been removed. We have informed higher officials about the areas where infrastructure needs improvement," she added....