10-year-old Kerala cycle polo player Nida Fathima dies in Nagpur

Nida Fathima, a 10-year-old cycle polo player from Alappuzha of Kerala, died in Nagpur on Thursday, December 22. She had reportedly felt unwell on Wednesday night and vomited continuously before she was taken to a hospital in the city.

However, while she was being treated there, Nida collapsed and died. Post mortem will be conducted at the Nagpur hospital, according to reports.

Nida was to take part in the under-14 competition of the National Cycle Polo Championship that is happening in Nagpur. She was a member of the Kerala Cycle Polo Association. Members of two associations from Kerala had reached Nagpur for the championship a few days earlier. The championship was to begin on Thursday.

“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 TNM.

Asianet News reports that Nida and other contestants of the championship had to stay in a temporary centre since food and accommodation was not provided by the organisers. Nida’s condition worsened in the morning and she had to be put on ventilator support, but the child lost her life by afternoon

A report on Manorama News said that Nida’s father had started from Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha where she hailed from, to go to Nagpur. Members of the Kerala Sports Council, who had helped the polo players reach Nagpur, will look into the possibilities of bringing Nida home to Kerala.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid his condolences to the deceased polo player.

Opposition leader VD Satheesan said that both the national sports federation and the state sports council should be held responsible for Nida’s death.