Mistaking puppy bite for injury, Kabaddi player dies of rabies
03 Jul 2025

Brijesh Solanki, a 22-year-old kabaddi player from Uttar Pradesh, has died of rabies.

The young athlete was bitten by a stray puppy he tried to rescue from a drain.

Brijesh, a gold medalist in state championships and a Pro Kabaddi League aspirant, however, failed to get an anti-rabies vaccine after the incident, mistaking rabies symptoms for a routine sports injury.

He started showing symptoms just days before his death.

Awareness campaign launched in his village
Vaccination drive

His coach, Praveen Kumar, said he mistook the pain for a regular kabaddi injury and didn't think it was serious enough to warrant vaccination.

Videos from days before his death show Brijesh in pain, with one clip showing him suffering from a severe rabies attack.

He began experiencing numbness on June 26 when he complained of numbness during practice.

He was first taken to a district hospital but later shifted to a private hospital in Noida as his condition worsened.

Denied treatment at several government hospitals
Health decline

His brother Sandeep Kumar alleged that they were denied treatment at several government hospitals.

"All of a sudden, he was afraid of water and was showing symptoms of rabies," Sandeep said.

"But we were denied treatment at the government hospitals in Khurja, Aligarh and even Delhi. It was only in Noida that doctors confirmed he was likely infected with rabies," he said.

Brijesh died on Saturday while being taken to a faith healer in Mathura.

He was the youngest of 3 siblings
Community impact

Brijesh was the youngest of three siblings and the sole breadwinner for his family.

Following Brijesh's death, health officials visited his village, Farana in Bulandshahr, on Monday.

They vaccinated 29 residents and launched a rabies awareness campaign.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Sunil Kumar Dohre urged people to get checked at government hospitals in case of animal bites.