Abhinav Bindra offers help to NRAI to tackle rise in suicide among young shooters

Startled by the news of multiple cases of death by suicide of promising athletes, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra has offered to help shooters in these stressful times through his foundation.

On Thursday, 26-year-old shooter Konica Layak was found hanging at her residence in Bengal's Howrah district with a suicide note. This is the fourth case of death by suicide in recent months in the shooting fraternity, raising serious questions.

Recently, young pistol shooter Khushpreet Kaur Sandhu, who had made her junior India debut at the last World Championship in Lima, committed suicide after registering low scores at the Nationals. Before that, two more shooters — Hunardeep Singh Sohal and Namanveer Singh Brar — also took the extreme step.

"I am writing to bring your kind attention to recent incidents of athlete suicides in the country. The news has startled me on a very personal note and I feel that to prevent any further loss of lives, we must act quickly & responsibly," Bindra wrote to NRAI president Raninder Singh.

"Athletes are also human; are prone to anxiety, depression, and need to be given a safe and conducive atmosphere to pursue excellence. Our intention is to help athletes, coaches," Bindra wrote in his letter.

"Through this letter, I wish to offer the time & energy of my team to help the athletes, coaches, administrators, parents, and others in the sporting ecosystem in need. I hope you will accept my proposal and allow us to conduct a few virtual sessions...focusing on the awareness and mental wellness of stakeholders at all levels in the ecosystem," he concluded.