Medals won but resource constraints hamper judokas
The career of half a dozen prodigiously talented but underprivileged judo players is hanging in the balance for want of financial aid.
Come rain, sunshine or hail, these gifted judokas wake up every morning, fight the vagaries of an empty stomach, and still manage to win medals. Their coaches fear that these youngsters may be lost to the world of crime and drugs if they are forced to discontinue the sport. Senior players admit such things have happened in the past and they do not want the dreadful phenomenon of getting trapped in the quagmire of heroin and crime to repeat itself.
The players train at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh JFI Centre which has already produced more than 40 international players, including Olympians.
Abhishek Kumar (18), the son of a plumber, is ranked at No. 2 in his 81kg weight category on the national circuit. After winning a gold medal in the All-India Inter University Championships, he was selected for the Asian Open Championships held in Aktau in Kazakhstan last year. Fearing he may not make the trip, senior judokas got together and collected Rs 1.50 lakh for his travel expenses. Experts opine that he is the best thing to happen to Indian judo in recent years. “Being born poor is no crime, but dying poor certainly is. I want to earn enough to ensure my family lives without the fear of not paying bills,” says Abhishek.
Raghu Mehra (17) had the tragedy of seeing his father, an electricity mechanic, dying a year ago following a kidney ailment. Apart from winning a gold medal in the 2022 sub-junior national meet, he has won medals in as many as four SGFI school nationals.
Amandeep Singh (14) was a child when his father died. Days later, his mother left him for another man. Hurt, he takes out his agony and angst on the judo mat from morning till evening. He has won a bronze and a gold in the 2023 and 2024 SGFI nationals. His two brothers do odd jobs to ensure lack of finances do not force him to leave the sport.
Varneet Singh (14) has won numerous medals in the sub-junior circuit. His father drives an auto-rickshaw for a living. One-fourth of his monthly earnings go to his son’s diet and kitting.
Sukhjinder Singh (14), whose father is a plumber, won a medal in the 2024 SGFI nationals in the 45kg weight category. His aim is to be the No. 1 in his weight class. He is too young to understand that aims are fulfilled only if you have money in your pocket. “If footballer Ronaldo, who came from a small-time working class family, can make it to the top, why can’t I,” he quips. Piyush Kumar (13) won a gold in the Raipur SGFI nationals in January. His father is a newspaper hawker and does not know from where his son’s next installment of school fees will come from.
Coach Amarjit Shastri says his wards have been regularly winning medals but the Punjab government has yet to pay the promised prize money. “Experts say the judokas are destined for bigger things in life. Their only problem is money,” he says.
