In a tragic incident at the Sapru Stadium in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, veteran cricket umpire Manik Gupta lost his life after he was suddenly attacked by bees during a match.

Veteran Umpire with 30 Years of Service

Gupta was a veteran cricketer who had dedicated 30 years of his life to the Kanpur cricket circuit and had been working with the Kanpur Cricket Association. The incident happened after he had finished his officiating duties. His brother Amit Kumar Gupta shared that during the drinks break, Manik Gupta was going to meet a fellow umpire when a swarm of bees suddenly attacked him.

Chaos During Drinks Break at Sapru Stadium

There was chaos everywhere, players and officials tried to run to a safer place. While Manik Gupta was trying to flee, he lost his balance, fell, and bees attacked him.

Eyewitnesses Recall the Horrific Moments

“His match had ended, and his fellow umpire was officiating a separate match. Manik went to meet him during the drinks break. They were both having tea when a swarm of bees came from behind and attacked everyone present. He lost his balance and fell while trying to outrun the bees. The whole swarm attacked him. Others were also attacked by the bees. He was an umpire for around 30 years. He was a state panel umpire,” said Amit Kumar Gupta. Another fellow Umpire of Manik Gupta, Mr. Jagdish Sharma, shared that they were attacked by a swarm of bees during the drinks break. “Everyone ran, but since Manik bhai was older, he couldn’t outrun the bees. While everyone lay on the ground, the bees attacked all those present. Manik was severely attacked.”

Shock and Grief Across the Local Sports Fraternity

During an interaction with Manik Gupta’s neighbours about his life and dedication to sports, Bhartendu Puri, a neighbour, said, “Manik Gupta spent his entire life supporting sports and his family.” “He was fully dedicated to cricket, this is such an unfortunate event. He was a distinguished umpire, and the Kanpur Cricket Association lost a gem.”