Asiad medallist labours at brick kiln

July 24, 2012

Santhi_Soundarajan

Bangalore, July 24: Irony doesn't get any more cruel than this. Santhi Soundarajan won a silver medal in the 800m at the Doha Asian Games in 2006, then lost it after she failed a gender test. Today, she works as a daily-wager in a brick kiln, slogging eight hours under a scorching sun to earn Rs 200 every day — the wage paid to women labourers.

Contrast this with Caster Semenya of South Africa, also a middle-distance runner, who lost the gold she won in Berlin World Championship 2009 after she failed a similar gender test. The 21-year-old Semenya will be her country's flag-bearer at the London Olympics. Her outraged nation rallied around her. South Africa fought to safeguard Semenya's dignity and position in world sports. The result: last year, the International Association of Athletics Federations revoked the ban on her.

Unfortunately for Santhi, no such help was forthcoming for her from her own countrymen. Banned by the Athletics Federation of India from participating at any level, the then 25-year-old's name and feats were struck off the records. She was simply abandoned as she reeled under fate's bitter blow.

Her hands, once raised in triumph, now wield a shovel or knead a crude mixture of powdered jelly stone, clay and water to be shaped into bricks. "My hands ache and burn all the time. The skin has peeled off, there are boils all over," Santhi told TOI on Monday.

Following the ignominy of a gender test, the manner in which Santhi's name and achievements were erased from the athletics records, Santhi lost all hope to the point of attempting suicide. "I've been on this job three months now. In the initial days, I could do nothing with my hands after work. I could neither eat nor use my fingers to grasp any object. They would be tender and swollen. The situation is no better now," says the athlete from Kathakuruchi, Pudhukkottai in Tamil Nadu.

Her parents, Soundararajan and Manimegalai, too work at the brick unit run by her uncle for a collective daily pay of Rs 500. They have a family of six.

Santhi was unemployed since 2010 when she resigned from the job of a coach at a paltry salary of Rs 5,000. A modestly successful coach, athletes she trained won medals at national meets and at the Chennai marathon. But the Tamil Nadu government's refusal to confirm her employment -- she was on contract - made Santhi realise she had to look elsewhere for a job.

She cannot pursue the NIS diploma course that could guarantee her a better position as coach. The graduate has no records as athlete to speak of, all of them snatched from her after the Doha episode. Also, she cannot confidently answer the question of gender that figures prominently in the NIS prospectus. She fears the ridicule it would entail. Over the last three months, Santhi had also approached the district administration for a job.

"I met the district collector and told him that I was even ready to work as a peon. He wasn't bothered. He said since I wasn't registered with the employment bureau, I didn't stand a chance. I told him about my feats as an athlete. I pleaded with him to consider my family's plight and give me a job on compassionate grounds. My plea fell on deaf ears," Santhi said.

Not that Santhi didn't attempt to fight to understand why she had been banned. "Though I had lost all interest in life, I tried to meet Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi, who was CM then) and Amma (Jayalalitha, the present CM) and explain my plight to them. But I wasn't granted permission," Santhi said.

The prize amount of Rs 15 lakh that she received from 'Kalaignar' was used to fund her siblings' education and for her sister's marriage. "My brother is still studying." Two of her sisters are employed. "But the situation is such that I have to earn to make ends meet," says the woman who, fights off bouts of depression only because she can't see her family in distress. "Sometimes I think of committing suicide. Or go away where I cannot be traced. What wrong have I done? Why am I being punished for something I have no control over?" she says.

Despite everything, Santhi still nurtures the ambition of representing her country in athletics again.

With the International Olympic Committee mandating that a more civil method of testing a female athlete's hyper-androgenism (excessive production of testosterone), she feels she stands a good chance to make a comeback. But before all that, Santhi wants a job.



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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday paid tributes to Indian Army soldiers, who were killed during the face-off with the Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

Extending condolences to the kin of bravehearts, Kohli said, "No one is more selfless and brave than a soldier."

"Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time," he tweeted.

The violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on Tuesday.

The Army confirmed that 20 soldiers were killed in the face-off, including 17 who were critically injured at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area in Ladakh where they had earlier clashed on the night of June 15 and 16, Indian Army said.

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan tweeted, "We will always be indebted to our jawans of #IndianArmy who lost their lives in #GalwanValley #JaiHind."

Expressing similar sentiments, Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan wrote, "A sacrifice that will never be forgotten by the nation. Heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the Indian Army officer and the two soldiers. Saluting your bravery, Jai Hind! #GalwanValley."

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said the Women's IPL or the Challenger series, as it is better known, is "very much on", ending speculation about the parent body not having a plan for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team.

The men's IPL will be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in) in the UAE due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The women's IPL will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.

The BCCI president, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge details but another senior official privy to the development said that women's Challenger will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.

"The women's Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that," the source said.

The former India captain also said that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp which has been delayed due to the prevailing situation in the country.

"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers -- be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous," Ganguly said.

"The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that," he added.

The BCCI's cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule where Indian women are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. 

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News Network
March 2,2020

Christchurch, Mar 2: India captain Virat Kohli on Monday said the under-fire Rishabh Pant has got a "lot of chances" but the team is not looking to try someone else in the youngster's place just yet as one player can't be singled out in a collective failure.

Pant has been under the scanner for the past one year because of his inconsistent run. His tally of 60 runs across four innings in the 0-2 Test series loss to New Zealand, which concluded here on Monday, has only amplified the debate whether it was prudent to leave out a keeper of Wriddhiman Saha's calibre and back Pant.

"...we have given him (Pant) a lot of chances in the home season as well starting from Australia. Then he was not playing for a bit. In turn he really worked hard on himself," Kohli came to Pant's defence after the series here.

"You need to figure out when is the right time to give someone else a chance. If you push people too early, they can lose confidence," he added.

"...collectively, we didn't perform. I don't believe in singling him out. We take the hit together as a group whether it's the batting group or as a team."

When asked if he believes Pant has taken his place in the side for granted, Kohli made it clear that the culture of this team doesn't encourage anyone to think along those lines.

"I don't see anyone taking his place for granted in this team. That's the culture we have set. People are told to take responsibilities and work hard. Whether it happens or not is a different thing. Then you can have a conversation with the players," he said.

"But no one has come here thinking I am going to play every game or I am indispensable," he added in no uncertain terms.

Kohli, just like head coach Ravi Shastri, made it clear that Pant can make a difference in overseas conditions and he won't like to deviate during future tours.

"The time that he didn't play, he really worked hard on his game. So we thought this is the right time because of his game and the way he plays because he can make a difference lower down the order.

"That was our planning behind it. We can't really fluctuate when it comes to what we planned," he added.

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