Young footballer dies in hit-and-run accident

The life of a promising young footballer, Tejaswini Gowda, was snuffed out  after she died of wounds sustained in an accident  in South Bengaluru on Sunday.

The 22-year-old, who represented Karnataka in the Senior Nationals in 2015, was run over by a car on the KEB flyover in Banashankari  3rd Stage.

Tejaswini and her cousin Sachin were travelling on his motorcycle when a white Maruti Swift Dzire, heading from the Nayandahalli Outer Ring Road towards the NCERT office, knocked down their two-wheeler.

Sachin fell to his left, while Tejaswini fell onto the right, coming under the wheels of the car. The car did not stop and sped away soon after the accident.

The police said Tejaswini was not wearing a helmet. A few passersby called the police and rushed the victims to Prashanth Hospital, from where Tejaswini was shifted to Sagar Hospital in Tilak Nagar. She succumbed to injuries around 5.40 pm. Her body was shifted to the Victoria Hospital for post-mortem, following which it was handed over to her family.

"We have obtained some clues about the car involved in the accident. We will soon trace the car and arrest the driver," said a senior police officer. The Banashankari traffic police have registered a case and are investigating.

Tejaswini began her football career when she was 14 at the Bangalore United Football Club under the tutelage of former national and state women's coach, Chitra Gangadhar.

Remembering her pupil fondly, Chitra said: "She used to be a winger and showed a lot of promise. Tejaswini was probably the most disciplined girl at the camp. She was a very friendly girl off the pitch, but aggressive and a fierce competitor on it."

The youngster had recently completed her BE from the Rajarajeshwari College of Engineering and was employed by a reputable IT company. But that did not stop her from pursuing football as well, as she would regularly train at the BUFC ground. "She was keen on playing regularly and would come to the ground. More recently, she visited the facility when we celebrated AFC Women's Football Day in March," Chitra added.

Tejaswini's mortal remains were taken to Hassan, where the last rights will be
performed.