Orissa neglects rowers despite they bringing laurels

Orissa may be going ga ga over the magnificent achievement in the rowing discipline of the just concluded 33rd National Games at Guwahati but the rowers themselves feel neglected. Lack of recognition, reward and employment opportunity are the main reasons for which the rowers, especially the women, feel so disappointed.

Pravasini Dwibedy, the best woman rower of the country happens to be the worst sufferer. Despite winning around 50 National medals, including 34 gold for the State and three Asian medals, incuding one gold for the country during her six-year-long illustrious career, she still remains unemployed.

Her repeated appeals for a job have yielded no response. ‘‘If I don’t get one this year, I will be forced to give up rowing,’’ a disheartened Pravasini told this paper at the SAI Watersports Training Centre, Jagatpur, on Tuesday.

Poverty is the main reason, which made the 21-year-old Dwibedy desperate for employment. Her family has no assets except a thatched house at Ratadiakhandasahi, a sleepy village in Kendrapara district. After the death of her father six years ago, earning livelihood for the six-member family, comprising her mother, two younger brothers and a younger sister, rested on the rower’s shoulder. But without any income, she just could not provide any support.

‘‘We could not afford proper treatment for our father, who died of cancer. My brothers and sister stopped pursuing their formal education for the same reason. Our house needs immediate repair. Being the eldest, I am expected to take care of the family. But without a job, I am feeling helpless,’’ lamented Pravasini, who won three gold and a silver in the recent National Games.

Leave aside the job, Pravasini has not even received all the routine cash incentives given by both the Central and the State governments. ‘‘I have received incentives amounting to Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000 but not more than that,’’ disclosed Pravasini.

But she expressed her displeasure that for no fault of her she could not avail of cash awards amounting to more than Rs 3 lakh from the Central Government. ‘‘Technical errors deprived me from encashing two cheques. Despite informing the authority about the mistakes, revised cheques did not arrive,’’ revealed Pravasini, the first international medal-winning woman rower of the country.

Authorities say that Pravasini has to become a graduate to aspire for a good job. But the rowers feel that educational qualifications should not be taken as a parameter to provide job to an international sportsperson.

Woman rowers such as Monalisa Mohanty, Mamata Jena, Kabita Shyanti and Nibedita Mohapatra are lucky that they have found jobs in Central and State Police Departments. But they are worried because they are not getting the opportunity to train at the SAI Training Centre at Jagatpur.

‘‘The State rowing association should negotiate with our employers Central Reserve Police Force to shift our training base from Chandigarh to Jagatpur,’’ suggested Monalisa Mohanty, an employee of CRPF.

Same suggestions were aired by Kabita Shyanti and Nibedita Mohapatra, who joined State Police Department a few months ago.

All the rowers, however, thanked National Rowing Federation chief K P Singhdeo for setting up the SAI Watersports Training Centre at Jagatpur and SAI Coach Jose Jacob for helping them win all these medals for the country.