JAGATSINGHPUR: At a time when sports figures top on Odisha government’s agenda, a national-level footballer who brought laurels to the state is working as a daily labourer and grazes goats for a living.
Tanuja Bage of Debadihi village in Jharsuguda district represented Odisha and India in the past but poverty has forced this national-level goalkeeper to give up the game and work as a labourer to make ends meet.
The hut of this 29-year-old sportswoman is replete with certificates and awards that she won from the game.
Having proved her mettle on the field, she hoped for government assistance for pursuing sports and leading a decent life.
However, that never happened. Born into a poor tribal family, she started playing football in 2003 at the age of 14.
She underwent training under some senior football players in Brajrajnagar and after playing for Odisha team for a few years, she secured a place for herself in the Indian team as a goalkeeper.
She played four matches as goalkeeper of the national team till 2011.
Besides football, Tanuja is a State and national-level rugby player.
“My awards and certificates are of no help because it’s a struggle for me to eke out living.
Poverty does not allow me to even think about sports”, says Tanuja.
She does not own a house of her own and stays in a hut constructed on a piece of government land along with her husband who is also a daily labourer.
The couple has a three-year-old daughter. Apart from the meagre wages that she earns, her only hope for sustenance is the ration card that has been provided to her by the state government.
Although she had got a private job earlier, it was not feasible.
“During the tenure of former Collector BB Patnaik, he helped me get a job of training students in football in a private school. I was promised a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 but got only Rs 3,000.
And I had to cycle for 15 km every day to reach the school from my home so I had no other option but to quit,” she recalls.
For villagers, women particularly, Tanuja was a role model and they were proud of her achievements. They said the state government can at least provide her a job and an opportunity to play again.
Collector Jyoti Ranjan Pradhan said he will meet her soon and inquire about her financial condition to provide her necessary help. “We will ask the District Sports Officer to do the needful,” he said.
Broken dreams
Tanuja of Debadihi village in Jharsuguda district represented Odisha and India in the past but poverty forced her to give up the game.
Born into a poor tribal family, she started playing football in 2003 at the age of 14.
She underwent training under Vedanta’s corporate social responsibility programme and after playing for Odisha for a few years, she secured a place for herself in the Indian team as a goalkeeper.