📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Karan Dhawan India
Sports
Jharkhand Gold Medalist Now Works as Sweeper at State Sports Department
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 05 Sep 2026, 08:36 PM
👁 32
A gold‑medalist who brought glory to Jharkhand is now employed as a sweeper at the state sports department, highlighting the challenges faced by many athletes after their victories.
The athlete who clinched a gold medal for Jharkhand and represented the state in national competitions has taken up a job as a sweeper at the Jharkhand Sports Department. Despite her achievements on the field, she now spends her days cleaning the department's premises, a stark contrast to the fanfare that usually follows a gold‑winning performance.
Her story underscores the financial and institutional gaps that many Indian sportspersons encounter once their competitive careers wind down. While the state government has lauded her victory, consistent support in terms of employment, sponsorship and post‑career planning appears lacking.
Officials from the sports department declined to comment on the specific reasons for her appointment as a cleaner, but they reiterated the department's commitment to providing jobs to athletes. Advocacy groups have called for a structured scheme to ensure that medal‑winning athletes receive sustainable livelihoods beyond their sporting years.
The former champion hopes her experience will prompt policymakers to reassess how sporting talent is nurtured and rewarded in Jharkhand and across the country.
Her story underscores the financial and institutional gaps that many Indian sportspersons encounter once their competitive careers wind down. While the state government has lauded her victory, consistent support in terms of employment, sponsorship and post‑career planning appears lacking.
Officials from the sports department declined to comment on the specific reasons for her appointment as a cleaner, but they reiterated the department's commitment to providing jobs to athletes. Advocacy groups have called for a structured scheme to ensure that medal‑winning athletes receive sustainable livelihoods beyond their sporting years.
The former champion hopes her experience will prompt policymakers to reassess how sporting talent is nurtured and rewarded in Jharkhand and across the country.