Basketball court death: Teen’s guardians settle suit against East Coast Town Council, EM Services

SINGAPORE – The guardians of a teenager who in 2021

died after a basketball backboard structure fell on him

have settled a civil suit filed against East Coast Town Council (ECTC) and EM Services, a real estate services company.

The Straits Times learnt that the guardians of 17-year-old Mohd Ridwan had filed claims in July 2024 seeking $150,000 from the two parties.

ST understands that the matter was settled in April 2025 for an undisclosed sum, with the parties signing a non-disclosure agreement.

Lawyers K. Anparasan and Grace Tan from WhiteFern, who were acting for ECTC, said: “We wish to state that the civil proceedings have been amicably resolved on a confidential basis.”

In response to queries from ST, a spokesperson for the town said: “We have extended our deepest sympathies and support to his family. Our thoughts remain with his loved ones.”

The guardians were represented by Mr Thirumurthy Ayernaar Pambayan of Murthy & Co, while CIVIC Legal represented EM Services.

The teenager died on July 26, 2021, after sustaining serious injuries while playing basketball at a court near Block 18 Bedok South Road.

Ridwan had grabbed the rim for two seconds, when the hoop collapsed and crashed on him.

The Institute of Technical Education College Central student was unconscious when he was taken to Changi General Hospital, where he died of a head injury.

A coroner’s inquiry into Ridwan’s death was opened on Nov 10.

The court heard that several safety lapses had contributed to the incident, including the absence of a professional engineer during the installation.

The hoop was also compromised. Investigators found that the breakage happened at a point where there was welding.

There was also a lack of reinforcement to keep the structure stable.

A police investigation officer (IO) testifying at the inquiry said that two men playing basketball at the same court had noticed one of the hoops sinking prior to the incident.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the men moved to the opposite end of the court to continue their game.

Ridwan was not aware that one of the hoops was sinking when he grabbed the rim of the unstable structure after dunking a shot.

The hoop then crashed on him.

His friends rushed to lift the hoop off him, while the two men called the police and ambulance, but Ridwan died that same evening.

The court heard that the basketball court was renovated in March 2020, with works completed in April.

The contractor of the renovation works was TMS Alliances, according to a CNA report on the coroner’s inquiry.

The installation was outsourced to KAF Resources, which deals with playground equipment, among other things.

The supplier of the basketball hoops was a Malaysian firm, Velocity Sports Equipment.

During the inquiry, it emerged that the hoop near Block 18 Bedok South Road was not the only one found to be unstable.

In March 2020, KAF Resources discovered that one of the basketball structures installed near Block 33 Bedok South was unstable.

This was more than a year before the tragedy.

The construction firm informed Velocity, but the supplier said it was “normal” for the hoops to be unstable as they were made of aluminium.

The unstable hoop near Block 33 Bedok South was not replaced as a result.

No engineer

The basketball court at Block 18 Bedok South Road and the nearby areas were renovated as part of ECTC’s repair works.

TMS Alliances was awarded the tender in June 2019, which then subcontracted the installation to KAF Resources.

The court heard that the firms did not engage a professional engineer for the installation of the hoops.

The IO said an engineer would have, among other things, provided guidance on welding points.

The engineer would also follow up with an inspection after installation, reported Shin Min.

The court heard that TMS Alliances had claimed it was not aware that it needed to hire an engineer.

The IO said the firm did not check if KAF Resources was engaging one as part of the installation process.

However, investigations revealed that TMS Alliances and KAF Resources had agreed in a contract to hire a professional engineer for the installation.

Although TMS Alliances and the town council conducted visual checks, Shin Min reported that ECTC did not check if an engineer was hired for the installation.

The investigator said there were several factors that contributed to the hoop’s collapse.

One of them involved the welding points. Another possible cause was the lack of a metal reinforcement bar in the basketball structure.

A report by the Health Sciences Authority showed that inconsistent welding may have contributed to the collapse. 

The basketball court was inspected between January and July 2021, including six times in July 2021, CNA reported.

According to CNA, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said that no contributory cause can be ascribed to the players in this case, as they were playing in a manner that is expected with basketball, and if the frame had been manufactured and installed correctly, it should “never fail”.

The coroner also directed the IO to check on the other basketball court with the unstable hoop, and other frames supplied by Velocity.

ST asked ECTC if the town council had conducted checks on projects that involved TMS Alliances, KAF Resources and Velocity Sports Equipment.

A spokesperson said the town council is unable to comment as the coroner’s court hearing is ongoing.

“We will provide further updates once the proceedings have concluded,” the spokesperson added.

Following Ridwan’s death in 2021,

most town councils in Singapore performed checks

on the basketball structures that they manage.

In September that year, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, who was coordinating chairman for People’s Action Party town councils, told ST if the structures are deemed safe, the town councils have the discretion to open the courts for residents to use.

The coroner’s court, which has yet to issue its findings, will hear Ridwan’s case again on Nov 27.