Shooter Konica Layak suicide: Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra startled, offers help with mental wellness
Konica Layak happened to be an air-rifle shooter from Dhanbad in Jharkhand. She committed suicide by hanging herself. Abhinav Bindra has offered help in terms of mental wellness.
FollowOn Thursday, the Indian shooting fraternity was left shocked when the news emerged that a promising young Indian shooter from Jharkhand, Konica Layak, had ended her life. She happened to have hung herself in her hostel in Kolkata. The 26-year-old hailed from Dhanbad and trained at the shooting academy run by former Indian shooter Joydeep Karmakar.
While Layak was an Arjuna Award winner, too, he had achieved numerous accolades at the state level. Earlier this year, she was in the news for not competing in the national tournaments despite qualifying as she could not afford her rifle. Bollywood actor Sonu Sood had aided her by gifting her an imported air rifle, while at the same time, Karmakar invited her to her academy and allowed her to train free of cost.
Reports state that Layak did not have any depressive state of mind, which was evident by the suicide note she had left behind. She had hung herself in her room using a dupatta around her neck. The suicide note stated that she called it quits after failing to pursue her parents' dream and termed herself a 'failure'.
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“I have known her for a few months now, and I am shocked beyond words. SINCE YESTERDAY, everybody I have spoken to has found it utterly difficult to believe this. She was doing well at the academy and had a promising career ahead. We offered every possible assistance to ensure she continued to excel at her skill. It is important that we know why she felt so utterly depressed," reports News 18.
Olympic gold-medalist Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra mourned her demise. He took to Twitter to note, "Athletes are also human; are prone to anxiety, depression, and need to be given a safe and conducive atmosphere to pursue excellence." He also offered help in terms of mental wellness. You can read his complete statement below.
Sood, too, mourned her death. "Heartbroken by this sad news. I remember when Konika was presented with a rifle, she promised to bring me an Olympic medal. Today it is all over. May God give strength to his family. Today is not just mine, not only of Dhanbad, the heart of the whole country is broken," he noted on Twitter.
