Five promising footballers forced to work as labourers

Kaithal (Haryana): In another case of sportspersons facing hardships, Haryana's five promising footballers, all girls, are being forced to work as farm labourers.

The players belong to Manas village in Kaithal district.

They have have won medals in prestigious tournaments but are working as agriculture labourers to eke out a living.

Ritu, Sheetal, Poonam, Sonia and Sudesh are students of Government Senior Secondary School in their village. Ritu and Sheetal are sisters.

Ritu was a part of the team that won a gold medal in the National School Games for girls organised in Goa in December last year.

Sudesh was a member of the Under 16 National Games held in Ranchi in 2013 and won the gold. She was also a part of the gold medal-winning team in Pyka Panchayat Youth Games held the same year.

Poonam helped her team win a silver medal twice in National School Games for Girls -- once as part of Under 14 team and then in Under 17.

The players helped their team win a silver medal in state-level championships twice.

Their coach Dilbag Singh told reporters today that despite being such accomplished players these girls go to fields to sow crops to make both ends meet.

He said that the kind of diet they are getting is far from nutritious and if something is not done for them, these budding talent would not be able to make a headway in sport.

Ritu and Sheetal's father Rajpat runs a small tyre and tube puncture shop in the village.

Ritu and Sheetal said that during sowing and harvest seasons of paddy and wheat, they go to fields to work as labourers.

They said that they are very much interested in football and are working hard to bring laurels for the state and country, but were not albe to devote as much time to the sport as they would like to.

The parents of other girls too work as labourers.