Koraput: Though the Odisha government leaves no stones unturned when it comes to boasting it's world-class sports infrastructure, sportspersons in the state continue to languish in extreme poverty.
Forget practice and performance, the native sportsmen are struggling hard to even make their ends meet. One classic example is the plight of visually-impaired cricketer Sukhram Majhi from Sukuriguda village in Koraput, who was part of the Indian squad for the Blind Cricket T 20 World Cup in 2018 and the Asia Cup tournament in 2016.
Now, in the absence of any tournament or event on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sukhram is forced to till his own land or work on others' fields as labour. And when there is no farm work, Sukhram toils as a porter in a nearby railway station or do some menial work as a daily wager to support his family.
"I have been stuck in the village since March following the lockdown. Here in the village there are no infrastructure to support the game (for cricket for visually-impaired cricketers). I am able to do only warm-ups here. As I have no alternative means of earning, I am forced to work as a porter and daily wager. I also have to take care of my visually-impaired mother," said the right-handed attacking batsman, who is pursuing his Post Graduation in English from Ravenshaw University in Cuttack.
Sukhram's last international tournament was way back in 2017 when hosts India emerged champions in the Blind T20 World Cup after beating Pakistan by nine wickets in the final. "At that time I got some financial assistance from the State Government," he said.
"A long time has passed since then. We get only Rs 750 for playing a national level match and very few number of matches are played in blind cricket. But due to the outbreak of Covid-19, no match is happening these days," said the affable cricketer.
Cricketers are amongst the richest sportspersons in the country. Government and private sectors pinch holes in their pockets to sponsor cricketers. But their indifference attitude towards visually-impaired cricketers is really tragic, said Sukhram.
"Like mainstream cricketers, visually-impaired cricketers also need support from the government and private sector to flourish. Due to lack of sponsorships, it's becoming difficult for us even to afford the equipments. At least, the government should come forward to provide us a monthly allowance to support our game and family," said Sukhram.
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