Ministry to request elite sports stars to act as SAI mentors

Rattled by the suicide attempt of four young athletes in Kerala, the Sports Ministry is set to revamp SAI centres across the country and could request "iconic sportspersons to act as trainee mentors" as part of a series of changes it seeks to bring about.
In a heartbreaking turn of events last week, a young athlete died and three of her colleagues battled for life after they attempted suicide at the Sports Authority of India Centre in Kerala, prompting a stunned ministry to launch an inquiry.
One of the athletes, 15-year-old Aparna Ramambhadran, died and three others, all undergoing training at Water Sports Centre of SAI in Alappuzha, were hospitalised after they ate a poisonous fruit in an apparent suicide pact owing to alleged harassment by seniors.

"We may request iconic sportspersons to adopt SAI centres and act as SAI trainee mentors. This will not only inspire young SAI trainees but also enable them to emulate the qualities of their role model," Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, speaking on behalf of Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, said in the Lok Sabha in a suo moto statement.
As part of the revamp, the Ministry has recommended the involvement of counsellors to help the the trainees. An Assistant Director of SAI will be stationed at Alappuzha until normalcy is restored, Rudy said.
"Psychology counsellors may be engaged to counsel the trainees so that they can come out of the emotional trauma. Particular care would be taken to ensure psychological and emotional rehabilitation of the three girls who have survived the suicide attempt.