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PU rower drowns in Roorkee canal
A Government College for Girls (GCG), Sector 11, student Rajshikha Malik, 19, drowned while practising canoeing in Upper Ganga canal at Roorkee on Thursday. Malik was a student of BCom final year and was part of Panjab University’s canoeing team. Rajshikha stayed with her family in Sector 46.
A Government College for Girls (GCG), Sector 11, student Rajshikha Malik, 19, drowned while practising canoeing in Upper Ganga canal at Roorkee on Thursday. Malik was a student of BCom final year and was part of Panjab University’s canoeing team. Rajshikha stayed with her family in Sector 46.
The team had been camping at Roorkee for the past one month, preparing for the All-India InterUniversity championship to be held at the Pong Dam from September 16.
PU director (sports) Parminder Singh, who rushed to the spot, as soon as the news was flashed, told HT, “A camp was on at Roorkee. The girl felt dizzy during practice on the boat (technically called a canoeing 4). She fell into the water and drowned.”
He clarified that she knew swimming.
However, Rajshikha’s father Rajpal Malik, who works with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and had reached Roorkee, when spoken to, said his daughter knew only a ‘little swimming’.
“We have been told that the boat (technically called canoeing 4) with four girls on it turned upside down. The others survived, but it took some time to rescue my daughter, even as the police and army teams were practicing nearby. She was taken to hospital, but couldn’t survive,” said Rajpal Malik, who is posted in Srinagar.
“My daughter was earlier into athletics and had won a gold medal at the state level in Chandigarh a number of times in 1,500m and 3,000m track events. As I got shifted out of Chandigarh, I asked her to shift to some other game as she was struggling to get good food,” he said, explaining the shift to a sport that has now taken her life.
“She had started the game recently and knew little swimming. She had been selected for training at the Manali mountaineering institute, but I told her to pursue canoeing as age was on her side,” he said.
‘I TOLD HER TO STAY BACK ON RAKSHABANDHAN’
An inconsolable father said, “She wanted to come to Chandigarh for Rakshabandhan, but I told her not to waste a day. She stayed back. ”
“All her coaches, teachers and friends used to praise her,” he added in a choked voice.
The family had not got the body till the filing of the report.
“We do not have any official information on any such incident,” said Prof Anita Kaushal, GCG principal.
“I am very sad. It is a big tragedy. I had even asked her why she was going too far for the camp,” said Prof Suman Malan, sports department head at the college.
The girl is survived by parents and two siblings.
