24-year-old long distance runner Arjun Tudu no longer looks at his medals and trophies with pride, as unemployment has pushed him into despair.
The youth has won senior national championships but the state government has done little to look at his exploits, leave aside offering him employment.
Arjun, a tribal who lives at suburban Nagadih in Jamshedpur, is forced to work as a daily wager to sustain his family.
He is married and lives with his two brothers, their families and aunt.
Arjun somehow manages to make ends meet thanks to Tata Steel sports wing’s monthly allowance of Rs 8,000.
He trains at JRD Tata Sports Complex and the steel major, keeping in mind Arjun’s talent, is offering him dietary support.
“I am jobless for more than five years now. The allowance from Tata Steel is not enough for my family’s survival. I am the sole breadwinner in my family since my younger siblings are also jobless. I have been working as a daily wager for some years but that engagement is not regular owing to the Covid-induced situation. I am very frustrated and hate to look at my accomplishments,” said Arjun.
Arjun lost his mother when he was young.
His father remarried and lives separately, leaving his three sons to fend for themselves.
Speaking to The Telegraph Online, Arjun said he used to get work as a daily wager before the nationwide lockdown.
“I used to get a daily wage of Rs 280 earlier when work was regular but the lockdown has now snatched that little earning. Don’t know what to do,” he said, cursing the virus.
Arjun used to manage the expenses of his family by competing and winning prize money in marathons organized by Tata Steel in Jamshedpur, Calcutta and Bhubaneswar.
But these events look a non-starter thanks to Covid, and pressure is building for the young athlete.
“I started athletics at the age of 14 with dreams of making a career out of it. I have donned Jharkhand jerseys in over 10 junior and senior national meets. I have won silver in the Federation Cup (Under-20) National Meet in 2015, besides claiming two bronze medals at the East Zone event in 2017 . I also represented Jharkhand in the 35th National Games in Kerala. But my feats were not enough to land me a job,” Arjun rued.
To make matters worse, his application for a direct employment in a government job under the sports quota was also rejected recently.
His application to the government for a cash award for claiming medals has also not found any takers.