In ‘depression’ after knee injury, national-level boxer kills self in Uttarakhand

PITHORAGARH: National-level boxer Gitika Rathore, who has represented Uttarakhand on several occasions, allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at her village in Thal area here. She was 18.
Family members said that Gitika was suffering from depression since she broke her knee during a match in Dehradun last year. Since then, she was struggling to regain her form.Gitika was at her ancestral home in Mungroli village for the last few days. On Wednesday, she consumed poison and collapsed.
Gitika’s mother Rekha Devi rushed her to Primary Health Centre (PHC), Gaucher. But, there was no doctor at the PHC and a pharmacist gave Gitika first aid and referred her to a hospital in Pithoragarh.
But, she died on way to Pithoragarh.
Gitika’s father is employed at a government college in Muwani here. Her mother is a house wife, and younger brother is in school.
Gitika started boxing when she was in Class IX. Due to her good performance, she was soon selected to play at district level. In the year 2015, she bagged gold medal at a state-level event, said Prakesh Jung Thapa, her coach.
She represented Uttarakhand at national boxing championship in January and March 2016 in different categories, Thapa added.
The injury had affected her practice and she was not happy, he said.