Death of teen after basketball court structure fell on him was misadventure: Coroner

SINGAPORE – Teenager Mohd Ridwan’s death in 2021 after a basketball court structure in Bedok fell on him was ruled a misadventure on Sept 18.

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said he did not find that the manner in which Ridwan had played basketball contributed in any way to the accident.

“He had performed a dunk move and held on to the basketball structure for a brief period of time. However, dunking and holding on to the hoop is part and parcel of the game,” said the coroner.

Ridwan, who was 17, had been playing basketball with his friends on a public court near Block 18 Bedok South Road on July 26, 2021, when the structure collapsed on him.

Ridwan was conveyed unconscious to Changi General Hospital but died from injuries to his head.

Nakhoda said that the structure should have easily held Ridwan’s weight, but an inherent defect in the structure’s construction caused the accident.

“This was a truly tragic case of a young man with his entire life before him suddenly struck down in his prime,” said the coroner.

Ridwan had no discernible medical conditions, nor was he affected by major chronic conditions, Nakhoda added.

Giving his brief conclusion into his findings on Sept 18, the coroner said a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) report revealed that both posts of the basketball structure had broken at the point where they were welded to the rest of the structure.

He said the report suggests that the welding had not been done well, with variations in thickness and gaps appearing between the weld and surface of the hollow poles.

The same welds did not appear on the other basketball structure at the court, leading him to believe the original structure most probably had been damaged, and it was repaired and welded back together.

The coroner added that his full findings will be made available at a later date.