Gender problem may have
forced athlete to end life

Mystery shrouds the death of 19-year-old India athlete Pratima Gaonkar, who committed suicide in Goa on Tuesday evening.

While sports persons in the western state of India were recovering from the news of Gaonkar's death on Wednesday morning, there was a shocking revelation by the police the same evening, following the post-mortem report, that vital gender elements of the deceased girl which prove femininity were missing.

Apparently, it is now believed that Gaonkar was unable to live with the fact and decided to end her life tragically.

While police are still investigating the case, inquiries revealed that Gaonkar was disturbed for quite a few days over something, which she refused to share with her colleagues, who resided with her at the Sports Authority of India girls' hostel in Mapusa, north Goa.

It is suspected that her gender problem had come to light during a sex determination test, which was conducted at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, recently.

The postmortem report has revealed a male organ measuring half an inch, while female organs like ovaries, uterus and vagina were missing. It also states that her breasts were not fully developed.

The police have now engaged a team of doctors to find out whether it was because of hormonal changes.

After excelling in the Asian athletics championships, at Brunei, in July, where she bagged a silver medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay, Gaonkar was to leave for Madras to participate in under-22 nationals, scheduled to begin on October 24.

Gaonkar's sprinting prowess came to light when she clinched a bronze medal at the National School Games, at Gandhinagar, in January this year, which was followed by a haul of three individual gold medals at the West zone meet in Pune.

"Pratima deserved better. Better from those insensitive and inhuman officials of NIS, Patiala, who told her the oddity of her anatomy in a manner that they did. She had a right to counselling, to help her cope with that shocking piece of news," wrote Goa journalist Ashley do Noronha, while paying tributes to her.

Sports officials in Goa, however, admit that the system of gender testing is not followed in India, as a routine matter.

"Whatever may be the mystery, it is a fact that India has lost a great athlete in the making," stated Goa sports director V M Prabhudesai.

Hailing from a very poor financial background, in a village of Kirlapal in eastern Goa, Gaonkar was shy and friendly, but had an unbelievable 'killer instinct' on the track.