Jiu-Jitsu Player, Who Represented India In Asian Games, Dies By Suicide

The Indian sporting community is mourning the loss of a talented athlete following the death of international Jiu-Jitsu player and coach, Rohini Kalam, at her home in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday. The 35-year-old, who proudly represented India at the Asian Games, was found dead at her residence. Police have indicated that preliminary investigation points toward suicide as the cause of her death. It was Rohini’s younger sister, Roshni Kalam, who discovered the Jiu-Jitsu athlete’s body at the family’s home in Arjun Nagar, Radhaganj. Roshni found her sister hanging in her room and immediately raised the alarm. Rohini was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors pronounced her dead upon arrival.

At the time of the incident, the athlete’s mother and a sibling were visiting a temple, while her father, a retired Bank Note Press employee, was also away from the house. Investigators confirmed that no suicide note was recovered from the scene.

Rohini’s sister, Roshni, spoke to police about the days leading up to the tragedy. Rohini, a martial arts coach at a private school in Ashta, had returned home to Dewas on Saturday, having reportedly been under considerable job-related stress.

On Sunday morning, she followed her usual routine of having tea and breakfast and then spoke on the phone before retreating to her room and locking the door. Roshni, who was aware of the kind of stress her sister was going through, said: “She was worried about her job. The faculty at her school were troubling her. Her school’s principal was troubling her. I could sense it from the way she was speaking on her phone.”

The family shed further light on the pressures Rohini faced. Her father noted that Rohini, the eldest of five children, had often resisted marriage proposals, focusing instead on her ambitious goal of becoming an IPS officer. She had also spent the last two years unsuccessfully pursuing the Vikram Award.

The family also disclosed that she had undergone surgery for a stomach lump just five months ago and had been unwell ever since. Her family suggested that work-related stress pushed her over the edge.

On the sporting front, Rohini began her journey in 2007, with her professional Jiu-Jitsu career taking off in 2015. She represented India at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and achieved the rare distinction of being the only Indian athlete selected for the World Games in Birmingham.

Her medal tally included a bronze in the 48 kg category at the Thailand Open Grand Prix 2022 and another bronze in the duo classic event at the 8th Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 in Abu Dhabi.

Police have registered a case at the Bank Note Press police station and have opened an investigation to thoroughly determine the circumstances surrounding the death of the decorated athlete. Authorities are currently awaiting the post-mortem examination reports.