Jamshedpur: National athlete Arjun Tudu, who won several awards while playing for Jharkhand and India, has to work as a labourer as he has no other means to take care of himself and the family.
The 24-year-old, who has a room full of medals, says he still wants to play but there has been no opportunity.ETV Bharat visited his house in Nagadih village of the district and witnessed how the athlete has kept his medals in an organised way. He has medals from a number of competitions that he participated in.
He, in fact, led Jharkhand in the 35th edition of the national games held in Kerala. The athlete said he had requested the state government for financial help after winning the gold medal in the national junior championship but he didn't get any.
Tudu, who lost his parents during childhood and was raised by his father's sister, said he had no other option but to start working as a labourer."I can still run on the track but I should be given a job to lead a decent life," he said, expressing regret that the government doesn't do enough for people like him.
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Sakro Tuda, the relative who looked after him after his parents' death, said Arjun Tudu worked really hard to earn himself a name in sports and he succeeded too but he didn't get money or a job that he should have.
His friends in the village and even the Pradhan said that they are proud of his achievements and the state government must provide him with a job and opportunities to play for the state.