The president of the Sepak Takraw Federation of India and an internationally accredited referee were killed after a tanker truck crashed into their car on NH-66 in Goa’s Bambolim in the early hours of Tuesday. Police said the tanker lost control while descending a slope, jumped a divider and slammed into the car.
Police identified the deceased as Yogender Singh Dahiya (42) from Delhi’s Nangloi, and Ankit Kumar Baliyan (34), a resident of Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. Dahiya was the president of the federation. They had come to Goa for the 35th Senior National Sepak Takraw Championship, which was held from October 23 to October 27 in South Goa’s Navelim, and for a national camp with the Indian team.
According to the police, the incident took place at around 1 am at a slope in Bambolim, when a fuel tanker, which was proceeding towards Merces highway, allegedly lost control due to a steering lock failure. Police said the tanker crossed the road divider and crashed into a car that was headed in the opposite direction from Merces to Margao. Police said the tanker fell on the side of the service road upon collision, and the car was completely mangled due to the impact. The two occupants in the car suffered serious injuries and were rushed to Goa Medical College and Hospital, where they were declared dead.
Kishore Kumar, treasurer of the Sepak Takraw Federation of India, called the incident a big loss for the Sepak Takraw fraternity. “Dahiya and Baliyan were in Goa for a national camp as part of preparation for the next Asian Games. Dahiya was associated with the sport for many years. He was also the president of the Delhi Sepak Takraw Association and dedicated his life to the growth and promotion of the sport in India. Baliyan was the assistant coach for the ongoing national camp. The news is quite tragic,” he said.
Police said an FIR has been registered under section 281 (rash driving) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of BNS, and the accused driver of the tanker truck – Rahul Sarwade from Maharashtra – has been arrested. According to the FIR, the tanker driver drove “in a rash and negligent manner endangering human life without taking proper care and caution” and crossed his lane after crossing the divider and went to the other road, which is a one-way…and gave a dash to an oncoming car.
India won a medal in Sepak Takraw for the first time at the Asian Games in 2018 when the men’s regu team bagged a bronze medal in Indonesia. The Indian men’s regu team secured a gold medal at the International Sepaktakraw Federation World Cup in Patna in March 2025.
