India has always been laughed at for poor performances in Olympics. India starts chocking when it faces world class athletes in the Olympic games. We do well only in cricket as The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) generates a whopping amount of revenue every year and it receives enormous amount of support from the citizens.
Besides cricket, no other game enjoys public support on such a large scale in India. Neither do media pay any attention thereto, as news channels too go after their TRPs. Now the only question pops up to our mind is that how the scenario will change? And when will our athletes start clinching medals for us in global events?
The answer to the question lies in understanding how we and our government treat our athletes?
Now meet weightlifter Santosh who has won 7 gold medals for the nation in powerlifting. But she is forced to sell tea outside her home to feed her family. She has no financial support from others because she is not a cricket player.
While she is selling tea for money, sportsmen in other countries are spending their time in training for hours. The governments at the center have been claiming to uplift Indian sports since independence. But how will they bring about changes if our gold medalists are compelled to sell tea to make two ends meet?
This weightlifter from Sonepat, Haryana, has now spoken up to seek the government’s support. In an interview with ANI, she said, “”I was injured while training and had to discontinue powerlifting. The government helped us with Rs. two lakh for the treatment when I got injured. I won many championships. I want the government to give me a job.”
