Jharkhand’s lone international cyclist Lakhan Hansda does not seem to have much hope when it comes to the prospects of getting a government job.

He was among the 39 sportspersons who were called to Ranchi where Chief Minister Hemant Soren handed over job letters last month. However, Hansda missed the chance. He is now keeping his fingers crossed if he would be ever called again.

The chief minister handed job letters to 27 sportspersons while the rest returned home empty handed. Hemant, however, has said the government would chalk out an action plan for providing employment to those who have been left out.

“I went to Ranchi with high hopes of finally getting a job. However, I was disappointed when I was told that my name was not on the list,” Hansda, a resident of Damodih village in Potka block of East Singhbhum, 25 km from Jamshedpur, recalled.

The 32-year-old who won bronze for Jharkhand in the team trial event at the 2011 National Games in Ranchi, said he was not sure as to when the government would offer him a job.

“I have run from pillar to post for a government job. Despite getting so close I could not make it to the list. I am very disillusioned and don’t know how to sustain my family,” Hansda said on the phone from Damodih.

The talented tribal cyclist has joined Special Olympics Jharkhand (SOJ) as a cycling coach. He accompanied the Indian cycling team to Abu Dhabi as one of the coaches for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2019. However, such assignments are temporary in nature and Hansda needs a permanent government job to make ends meet.

“I am keeping my fingers crossed but am disheartened. I don’t know if I would be able to get a job at all. I pray to the government to give me a job,” said the cyclist who has opted farming in his ancestral land.

Asked if he was continuing training, Hansda said it was just for maintaining fitness. “I am not very inclined in taking part in competitions. What is the need for winning medals when I have to remain jobless,” he asked.

He said that the wait for a job was getting longer and he was losing his patience. “I hope the government calls us and provides a job. It is proving to be difficult to wait any longer,” Hansda added.