A woman boxing trainee at the SAI Centre of Excellence hostel here was found dead under mysterious circumstances in her room at the Lal Bahadur Stadium on Wednesday. Hailing from a poor background, S Amaravathi, 18, had represented the state twice in national-level championships.

She was found on her bed by coach Omkar Kumar and another girl after she failed to turn up for breakfast and morning practice. She was rushed to the hospital, but doctors declared her dead. Saifabad police inspector M Sudarshan said she appeared to have consumed poison. “There was froth from her mouth and pungent smell in the room,” he said. Amaravathi had been staying at the hostel since 2006 and was the only boxing trainee. There had been complaints against the coach for being too harsh and criticising her often.