Teen powerlifter ends life over inability to pursue weightlifting
Vaibhavi Patekar (inset) had bagged a silver medal in a national-level competition and two gold medals in a state-level event
In a tragic incident, a 19-year-old female weightlifter was found dead in a pond in Goregaon village in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, over 100 kms from Mumbai, during the wee hours of Wednesday.
The deceased, Vaibhavi Patekar, had been missing since the night of August 27.
According to the preliminary investigation, Patekar committed suicide by jumping into the pond, a Goregaon police station official said.
She had messaged her friends and family members about her inability to pursue weightlifting before taking the extreme step, he said.
Patekar had bagged a silver medal in a national-level competition in the past besides two gold medals in a state-level event. She had cleared her 12th standard earlier this year.
The athlete hails from a family of powerlifters.
Her mother Jyotika (48), who reportedly returned to the sport after a two-and-a-half decade hiatus, is a renowned powerlifter in the state and was among the first batch of girls to participate in the sport back in 1984.
