Thaindian News

By Praful Kumar Singh

New Delhi, Mar 24 (ANI): Taking serious note of former Indian women’s football team vice captain Madhu Kumari’s plight, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has intervened and helped her to get a government job.

A leg injury in 2008 forced Madhu out of the game, and thereafter, she had to grapple with abject poverty, as she had no job or help from the sporting authorities.

Her father had passed away in her childhood and her mother is mentally challenged. She survives on the paltry sum given to her by her brother who runs a tea stall.

Madhu was treated for her injury for two years after which the Rs.50, 000 aid given by the state government ran out.

“The newspaper story of Madhu’s woeful tale was published in November 2009. The news clipping caught the attention of the President, who herself is an ardent sports lover and was a table tennis champion during her college days,” said a Rashtrapati Bhavan official.

“A keen promoter of causes of women pursuing various vocations, including sports, the President desired Madhu’s case should be pursued so that upcoming sportspersons are encouraged to excel and do their best in different sports. On instructions from the President, the case was pursued at different levels in the Bihar Government which has now given her a job offer,” the official said.

After the President’s intervention, Madhu would not need to do odd jobs for her survival and can also train girls interested in playing football.

Madhu said: “I got the job because of the President’s intervention and many other sportspersons have also got jobs under sports quota in Government of Bihar. Twenty two sportspersons have already joined the State Government and 22 more along with her are going to join shortly.”

During President Patil’s recent visit to Bihar, Madhu met and thanked her for the help, and promised to bring laurels to the country and set an example for aspiring sportspersons. (ANI)