Zeenews Sports News
New Delhi: Santhi Soundarajan, who was stripped off the silver medal she won at the 2006 Asiad after failing a gender test, is working in a brick kiln as a daily wager.
Soundarajan, who comes from a poor family, was forced to drop out of competitive athletics after she failed the test.
Finding a job and earning enough money to eat then became a daily struggle and the stigma almost drove her to committing suicide.
In order to make ends meet she now reportedly works in a brick kiln for eight hours daily to earn Rs 200 per day.
“I met the district collector and told him that I was even ready to work as a peon. He wasn`t bothered. He said since I wasn`t registered with the employment bureau, I didn`t stand a chance. I told him about my feats as an athlete. I pleaded with him to consider my family`s plight and give me a job on compassionate grounds. My plea fell on deaf ears," Santhi was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
Soundarajan failed a gender test after finishing second in the women’s 800-meter race at the 2006 Asian Games and was forced to return her silver medal.
Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla said it was the duty of the government of and not the federation’s responsibility to provide her a job.
With ANI inputs
First Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 11:28