Ranchi, Sept 5: A gold medal-winning athlete from Jharkhand is working as a cleaner at the state Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs in Ranchi for a monthly salary of Rs 10,000, according to a media report.
Sunita Oraon, a former throwball and volleyball player, has reportedly been sweeping and mopping floors at the sports department’s premises in Morabadi for the past eight to nine years.
Speaking about her present circumstances, Oraon said she did not want to continue doing cleaning work but had little choice because she needed to earn a livelihood.
“I don’t like doing this work, but what else can I do. If I don’t do something, what will I eat,” she was quoted as saying in a report by NavBharat Times.
According to the report, Oraon works for around eight hours a day and earns Rs 10,000 a month. She alleged that her payments are not always made on time and that there have been months when she did not receive her salary.
Oraon had represented Jharkhand in sporting competitions in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. She won two gold medals and a silver medal, besides other medals, while competing in throwball and volleyball.
Despite her sporting achievements, Oraon said she did not receive the kind of recognition or employment support she had hoped for from the state’s sports authorities.
She lives on rent in the Bijupara area of Ranchi with her brother and sister-in-law. Her parents have died, while her brother works as a labourer at a brick kiln.
Oraon has now appealed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren for a permanent government job, saying she wants an opportunity to improve her circumstances and live with dignity.
Her case has drawn attention to the challenges faced by athletes from sports that receive relatively limited institutional and financial support.
Another Jharkhand-based throwball player, Amardeep Kumar, who has reportedly won four international gold medals for India, has also been highlighted in recent reports for struggling to make a living, including driving a cab and selling vegetables in Ranchi.
The cases have renewed questions over employment and welfare support for athletes who have represented Jharkhand and India but struggle financially after their sporting careers.
