Every athlete is passionate, hardworking and competitive in the sports he or she performs. They undergo an extensive training to bring out their best on the field and live a disciplined life. But not all is well for all the sportspersons in Odisha. Despite various policies and facilities extended by Centre and state government, many talented players still continue to live in penury.
This is the story of Dharitri Rout of Nuapada district, a National level Choi Kwang Do and Karate player who is now rearing cattle and works as a daily wager to make her ends meet. Dharitri represented Odisha in several national-level tournaments and state-level Choi Kwang Do and Karate competitions.
She has also bagged a silver medal in one of the national events. But her struggle continues as the accolades have yielded no fruits in her journey called life. After her success, she allegedly did not receive any government assistance to pursue the sports further. Her family’s financial crunch coupled with the neglect, she had had to get involved in farming, rearing cattle and also started working as a daily wager to earn a livelihood.
On the other hand, after being apprised, the concerned administration has said that it will look into the matter and necessitate possible measures to help the athlete.