Jharkhand: Gold Medal Winning Athlete Geeta Kumari Forced To Sell Vegetables

Athlete Geeta Kumari was pushed to sell vegetables on the roadside in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district before Chief Minister Hemant Soren learnt about her plight and helped her with financial assistance of Rs 50,000 through the district administration. Geeta was struggling to find work during and post lockdown. Chief Minister Soren has also ensured a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000 for her to pursue her athletics career, PTI reported.

As a budding athlete, Geeta was slowly making a name in the field despite many obstacles, but during the lockdown, it became difficult to manage. She had won eight gold medals at state-level walking competitions. She also won a silver medal and a bronze medal in competitions held in Kolkata, an official release said.

When Soren was informed about Geeta's situation on Twitter, he took immediate action and directed the Ramgarh deputy commissioner to assist Kumari financially so that she could pursue her athletics career.

What You Should Know

• Athlete Geeta Kumari was forced to sell vegetables in Jharkhand due to financial issues.
• Chief Minister Hemant Soren intervened and the district administration has offered her financial assistance of Rs 50,000 and a monthly Rs 3,000 to pursue her athletics career.
• Geeta is an eight-time gold medalist at state-level walking competitions.

Shortly after the chief minister's intervention, Geeta received a cheque of Rs 50,000 from Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sandeep Singh on Monday. Along with a monthly Rs 3,000 support, the athlete will also get the opportunity to train at a sports centre, the release said.

Wishing Geeta all the success in the world of sports, the deputy commissioner took to Twitter and wrote: "There are several sportspersons in Ramgarh who are capable of winning laurels for the country, and the administration will ensure they get support."

ALSO READ: 12-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies After Walking 150 km To Reach Chhattisgarh

Talking about how Geeta is balancing her studies -- a final year BA student in Ananda College, Hazaribag, in the neighbouring district - and, also taking care of the family by selling vegetables, cousin Dhanjay Prajapati said, “Her family is financially weak and my sister wants to pursue her pet event. Now that the administration has given assistance she is very happy."

Earlier in June, the Jharkhand government had also provided financial assistance to national level archer Sonu Khatoon of Dhanbad district, who was forced to sell vegetables to support her family.

Also Read: Bilaspur: 72-Year-Old Beggar Woman Donates Rice, Sarees & Cash To Needy

Feature Image Credit: DC_Ramgarh/Twitter

Read More Stories By Ria Das