Lucknow, Sept 29: From being a gold medallist in the National Weightlifting Championships in 1996 to staging a protest outside Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha for employment, Meenakshi Rani’s heart-wrenching story is one among the many athletes who have faded into oblivion due to poverty.
At a time when athletes are being showered with awards and accolades, Meenakshi is facing a severe financial crunch and her family on the brink of starvation.
Add to her woes, the mother of two is facing the brunt of state government’s apathy after being assured of a job by sports minister Narad Rai and sports consultant Ramvriksh Yadav.
The weightlifter, who did the country proud on a number of occasions including Asian junior and senior weightlifting championship, has warned of committing suicide, along with her two children, if the promised job was not provided to her within 10 days.
“My fate has betrayed me so much that I was forced to stage a dharna in front of Vidhan Sabha. If employment was not provided to me within 10 days as promised by the government, I would be left with no other option but to commit suicide with my two children,” Meenakshi told PTI here today.
Meenakshi had won a bronze medal in Asian junior and senior weightlifting championship held in Delhi in April 1999. Besides, she had won silver in national championship in 1995, overall gold in national championship in 1996 and silver in the same event in Madhya Pradesh in 1998. (PTI)
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