Life back on track

After the President's intervention, former vice-captain of Indian women's football team gets a job with Bihar government

Life back on track

After the President's intervention, former vice-captain of Indian women's football team gets a job with Bihar government

Life was never easy for former vice-captain of Indian women's football team Madhu Kumari. Her father had expired when she was a child and her mother is mentally handicapped. She used to be dependent on paltry handouts from her brother, who runs a tea stall.

"I was keen to pursue my career in football and also support my family but because of meagre source of income, I was finding it very difficult to concentrate on the game and realise my dream of making it big in the sport.u00a0 For survival, I used to do some odd jobs like coaching girls in the game and working as receptionist in organisations like Apparel Training & Design Centre in and around Patna," said Madhu while talking to MiD DAY.u00a0
She used to play for Indian women's football team from 1999-2007 and became vice-captain in 2007. Things became worse for her in 2008, when she suffered a knee injury while playing for senior nationals.u00a0

Her woeful plight was reported by a newspaper in 2009, which caught attention of the President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil. A keen sports lover and a table tennis champion during her college days, the President instructed her office to purse the case of Madhu Kumari with Bihar government.u00a0 Finally, the Bihar government offered her a job in Patna.u00a0

On Tuesday, when the President was on tour of Bihar, Madhu Kumari, met her at Patna.
During the meeting, the President lauded Madhu's courage and determination and advised her to do well in her job and also in her chosen field of sports and bring laurels to the country, thereby setting an example for many aspiring sportspersons.

A Rashtrapati Bhawan official said, because of the President's intervention not only Madhu but many other sportspersons too have got jobs under sports quota in Bihar. Around 22 sportspersons have already joined the government and 22 more are going to join shortly.