Jajpur (Odisha): At a time when Odisha Government claims to have taken measures to promote and develop sports, national-level football player, Lakshmi Munda hailing from Odisha's Jajpur district is now working in the paddy fields to eke out a living.
The 20-year-old tribal girl, Lakshmi Munda from Mangalpur village under Sukinda block in Jajpur district, who carved her name in the national-level women’s football team, now has a stagnant career due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Before the pandemic struck her steep moving career, Munda took training at Nita Ambani Football Academy in Bhubaneswar and later in Biju Patnaik Women’s Football Academy for around five months.
But now she can be seen sweating out in farmlands to feed herself and her old father. Her mother Jana died a long back and her old father Balai Munda is now 70 years of age.
Laxmi hails from an underprivileged family who had to take charge as the breadwinner after her elder sister got married.
"I have been playing football for more than 10 years. I have played more than 10 matches in several states, including Goa and Madhya Pradesh. In 2015, I participated in Under-17 national championship held at Imphal and then in 2016 in Under 19 Women’s League held at Punjab. I have a lot of dreams, but in such a gloomy situation, my aspirations have been faded," Lakshmi told ETV Bharat.
"I am also applying for a job at the government level since 2017, but I am not getting success in it. As there is nothing left to earn bread and butter for my family, I have started working in the paddy fields of people in my locality. I do not want the family to sleep in hunger," she lamented.
The young girl's coach talked about her struggle and hard work and said how Laxmi stood out not just as a good student but also a passionate footballer, despite all odds.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Lakshmi's coach, Dushasan Tiriya, said," After Lakshmi came out successful in the High School Certificate (Matric) examination, she was studying in Deba Ray College and there she had got an opportunity to play football."
"While she was pursuing her Degree course with honours in Economics in a college at Bhuban. She gave attention to playing along with her study. However during the present corona pandemic period, this talented sports person because of her acute poverty is compelled to work as a daily labourer and is seen engaged in planting seedlings in the agricultural field of another person to arrange two meals a day for her family," Tiriya said.
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