Barely a month after the death of an athlete at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) water sports centre, at Alappuzha, another teenaged athlete with SAI was found injured in his hostel room, at Lakshmibai National College for Physical Education (LNCPE), at Kariavattom, following an alleged suicide bid. Nidhin U, 18, of Azhoor, in Chirankeezh, tried to commit suicide by slashing his wrist, recently. It is believed that the athlete had taken the extreme step owing to the competitive pressure. His roommate Shiju, found him lying in pool of blood, in the morning, at 5, and he at once alerted the authorities. He was soon rushed to the Medical college hospital here. However, the hospital authorities said that the injury was not of any serious nature and was treated putting three stitches.
The incident garnered media attention owing to the case on a suicide pact involving four female trainees at SAI’s water sports centre in, Alappuzha, last month, that eventually claimed one life. However, Nidhin told police that he took this step owing to competitive pressure as he was not at his peak form in the recent times and some important events were round the corner.
Nidhin was a junior national medalist in sprints. He has become the state champion consecutively in 2014 and 15 in the 200 meters race in the under – 18 category. He had also won a silver medal in the 100 meter heats at the South Zone Junior Meet, in 2013. Shiju, his roommate, told the police that Nidhin was visibly upset last night and when asked, he avoided the question by maintaining that he was alright.
LNCPE Principal and Director of SAI (Kerala), G Kishore, said that, a three-member team was constituted to conduct a probe into the incident. ”He was a promising talent and I don’t think there was any reason for him to take such a step”, Kishore said. Meanwhile, sources at LNCPE said that Nidhin, was involved in a spat with some of his hostel mates for allegedly siphoning the funds he collected from others to purchase sports merchandise online. However, Kishore said that no complaints in this regard were received. It is also learned that Nidhin, who has been an inmate of LNCPE hostel for past five years, had faced disciplinary action twice before in, 2012 and early this year.