It has been three years since athlete Sudha Singh made the country proud of her accomplishments, but her plight is not-so-good today. Since then, the 31-year old has been looking for jobs, but to no avail.
She had won gold in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar. However, she is still continuing her job hunt in Uttar Pradesh, where she originally hails from.
According to a media report, Sudha is seeking a Class 1 job following government’s order in 2014, but she has not received any confirmation. Despite having remarkable achievements, (she had won a silver medal each at the 2009, 2011 and 2013 editions of the Asian Championships, apart from finishing 21st at the 2012 London Olympics and 30th at the 2016 Rio Olympics), Sudha’s appointment in any job is uncertain.
However, Sudha is not the lone sufferer in the situation. Four other athletes- Seema Punia (2014 Incheon Asian Games gold medal-winning discus thrower), Mohd Asab (bronze medallist shooter at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow), Swati Singh (at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow) and Priyanka Pawar (gold medallist at the women’s 4x400m relay at the 2014 Asian Games) also are waiting for job opportunities in Uttar Pradesh.
“The government order to give Class 1 jobs to medal winners like me was issued in 2014 and since January 2015, I am running from pillar to post for a job here. But every time the people concerned say that the process is on,” Sudha had said.
The athlete had applied for the post of a regional sports officer in the state and is now planning to approach chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
“I will apprise chief minister Yogi Adityanath on how reluctant people are in his government in giving me a job. I will also let Prime Minister Narendra Modi know about my plea for a job after coming back from the World Championships,” Sudha said.
“Everybody is aware of my achievements, and if anyone has doubts, he can compare my achievements with others. They should reject my claim, if I am inferior to others,” she added.
In spite of being offered jobs in Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sudha insists working in her own state.
“I am holding the national record for the last seven years, and why shouldn’t I think for a job in my own state. I had offers in SAI and other places too, but I always wanted to work for my own state,” the athlete said.
