National-Level Archer Keeps Gold Medals Aside, Forced To Sell Pakodas To Survive Amid Pandemic

The lockdown which was imposed in India last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic ended up causing massive financial distress to uncountable families across the country. Not just migrant workers and small business owners, talented people across various sectors ended up losing their jobs.

One of such people who has been severely hit by the pandemic is 23-year-old Mamta Tuddu. What makes her story heartbreaking is that she is a national-level archer who previously won gold in junior and sub-junior levels in 2010 and 2014. Today, she suffers from poverty and is forced to sell pakodas, reports The Telegraph.

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She is the daughter of a retired BCCL employee and is the eldest of her 7 siblings.

“All of my younger siblings had to quit their studies midway as my father’s pension is yet to start. So, our family is totally dependent on the income from the makeshift shop where we sell items like roasted and sprouted grams, pakoras, rice flakes and other such items,” she said.

Since 2018, Mamta had been undergoing training at the Center of Excellence for archery in Ranchi. During the lockdown, she was forced to come back home to Damodarpur and later, she couldn’t go back because of financial problems.

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She also accused the concerned authorities of “insensitivity”.

“I am still playing at the senior level but need government support for sustaining life,” she said.

The District Secretary of Dhanbad Archery Association, Jubair Alam, has said that he will visit Mamta soon and will try to extend as much help as he can to make her situation better.

A national-level sportsperson deserves to live a more respectable life. While her current situation is heartbreaking, we hope she gets the help she needs and is soon able to bring back home more medals!

Cover image: source.

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