HOSHANGABAD: Four hockey players, heading for a Dhyan Chand Trophy match, were killed and three others injured on Monday when their car overturned after hitting a tree in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad district, police said.
The accident occurred around 7 am near Raisalpur village on National Highway 69, located about 12 kms from the district headquarters, Hoshangabad Dehat police station in-charge Ashish Pawar said.
While trying to avoid collision with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction, the driver of the car lost control over the vehicle which hit a tree and overturned, he said.
The players were returning from Itarsi after celebrating birthday of a friend and were heading to Hoshangabad for the Dhyan Chand Trophy match scheduled on Monday, he said.
The deceased, all in the age group of 18 to 22 years, were identified as Shahnawaz Hussain (Indore), Adarsh Hardua (Itarsi), Ashish Lal (Jabalpur) and Aniket Varun (Gwalior).
The injured players - Shan Gladwin (Itarsi), Sahil Choure (Itarsi) and Akshay Awasthi (Gwalior) - were admitted to Narmada Apna Hospital in Hoshangabad, he added.
All the players, except Gladwin who was driving the ill-fated car, were enrolled at Bhopal's MP Hockey Academy.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath expressed grief over the deaths.
"I have directed the officials concerned to extend help to families of the deceased and ensure proper medical treatment of the injured," he said.
Nath's media coordinator Narendra Saluja said the CM had declared financial assistance of Rs two lakh each to the family members of the deceased from his discretionary fund.
Besides, these families will also get Rs five lakh as the players were insured by the state's sports department, Saluja said.
Niraj Rai Bahotra of Dhyan Chand Hockey Academy, which organised the tournament, said they had cancelled the event due to the tragedy.
He said the deceased players represented the state at the national level, and that all but Galdwin, who plays for Barkatullah University in Bhopal, were members of the MP Hockey Academy team.
Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Jitu Patwari also rushed to Hoshangabad to meet the injured players.