A ‘princely’ Rs.400 - for winning two golds, one bronze at Ipoh

AGRA - When constable and sportswoman Anita Yadav went to meet a top Agra police official with her prized possessions - two golds and one bronze medal won at the November athletics championships in Malaysia - she could scarcely imagine what lay in store.

A ‘princely’ Rs.400 had been sanctioned as her reward by the police, says a bitter Anita. This was the response to her application informing the police department of the laurels she had won.

“No compliments, bouquets or encouraging words from any quarters. Even the media took no notice of my achievements,” Anita told IANS in an interview. “Cricketers would have been honoured and recognised by everyone but athletes like us are cold shouldered.”

Anita’s kitty of medals weighs several kilograms, having won them at state, national and international meets at regular intervals. But the cold indifference and lack of encouragement from people in general and her own department in particular has begun to hurt.

“When I returned after 15 days of hard gruelling competitions at the international level in Malaysia and applied for three days’ leave, my boss said you have already had such a long outing and rest. Get back to work.

“With this kind of attitude how can sports flourish here?” Anita wonders.

At the Malaysian International Open Masters Athletics Championship held at Ipoh Nov 7 and 8, she was given the best woman athlete award.

She touched 5 m 40 cm in long jump, winning a gold. She clinched a gold in javelin throw and a bronze in the Medley relay race. She was the lone representative from Uttar Pradesh.

“At 35 plus, I had to compete with a 23-year-old girl,” she said.

As a constable attached to the Sadar police station in Agra, she finds it hard to combine her duties with sports.

“But I manage because my husband, Shanti Swarup, who is also in the police, takes care of my 11-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. He has never let me feel burdened with domestic chores and has been a great source of encouragement.

“I come from a very conservative background in Etawah and when I go to my in-laws, I still have to hide my face behind a veil despite my long international exposure.

“Even with 80 odd medals I have no future in sports. They give me nothing extra, no facilities, no allowances. My own salary is spent on my diet. I eat 85 almonds daily, two litres of milk and a very rich vegetarian diet of dal roti, plus lots of desi ghee and at least five glasses of fruit juice.

“I could win medals at Malaysia because I am fit and practise regularly, come what may.”

A post graduate in sociology from Jeevaji University, Gwalior, Anita is totally devoted to sports and has won medals not only in athletics but also judo, table tennis, weight-lifting.

She keeps a low profile. “At the international meets I stay alone, don’t mix around with people, keep a low profile and concentrate on my work because I am a fitness freak,” she says.

In fact, the poor efficiency and performance levels of the police she attributes to lack of interest in sports.

“Speaking for myself and my family, let me put it in bold letters: we do not accept a single penny from corrupt sources or as bribery. The whole department knows that. You know how difficult it is to stay away from the corrupting influences of the system you are part of, but I am proud of this fact,” Anita said.

“I have won all the shields and honours in police games for Agra and Uttar Pradesh in the past 12 years. But no one is proud of me. I feel so frustrated and feel like giving up because I cannot give anything to my family.

(Brij Khandelwal can be contacted at brij.k@ians.in)