Renowned female wrestlers at the ongoing All India Police Wrestling Cluster Championship 2013 (AIPWCC) in Mega Sports Complex, Hotwar want the Central government to prioritise providing employment opportunities for sportswomen across the nation since sports as a preferable career is less lucrative for them.
Twenty-six-year-old Asian bronze medal winner wrestler Jyoti, a constable in Delhi Police from the backward class category said, “Most of the girls in Indian sports arena hail from middle-class family background. In such circumstances, it is hard for them to arrange sponsorship for every participating event. For girls it is a challenge to get to the Olympics level of their respective sports due to the prevailing social custom that says girls are delicate darlings.”
She added, “The central government should definitely think of arranging sponsorships for girls playing at the grassroot level in all the states.” “Except Haryana, all the states are still not-so-developed in boosting the talents of sportspersons, be it a girl or boy. Scientifically, a girl associated with sports cannot maintain her body shape because it gets spoiled during the performance. like my left ear is unshaped now. Though, I got a job in Haryana police due to my capability but finding a groom for a dented face like mine is difficult. As a secured future, it is important to grant jobs to all sportswomen bringing laurel to their nation,” said Gitika Jakhar, winner of a qualifying wrestling event round held here on Tuesday.
“There are not much job reservations for all the sports forms in government departments and for girls it is more restricted. Central government should expand the reservation scopes for all the sports affiliated under Olympic Association and increase seat limits for girls in the same reservation provision,” said 29-year-old Reena Mallick, a CRPF constable who switched over to wrestling from Taekwondo after joining this force in 2005 as the later has rare career options in India.
Supporting the views of Raksha and Reena, a female wrestler of Uttrakhand Police pointed to the need of providing adequate infrastructural support to all small town girls so that they too can turn their dreams of becoming a sport star into reality.