A 29-year-old athlete from Jharkhand, who won four gold medals at international competitions, is forced to earn a living by selling vegetables and driving a taxi due to the absence of a government position. After his story became public, the regional head, Hemmat Soren, drew attention to this issue.
In an interview with 'Aajtak', the athlete Amardip stated that despite his victories on the international stage, he has yet to secure a government job. He explained that the sports policy in the state of Jharkhand did not allow him to take advantage of employment opportunities. Furthermore, his applications for monetary prizes remain unresolved.
Amardip reported that he had tried to resolve his problem by appealing to the then Sports Minister of the state, Hafizul Hasan, but the issue remained unresolved. He noted that he has been trying to obtain financial support from the government since 2016. The athlete mentioned that his teammates from the states of Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Bihar were able to find jobs in government structures; specifically, one player from Haryana, who was the team captain, received various benefits from his government.
Amardip's family financial situation is also difficult: the family includes his parents and an older brother. His father sells vegetables, helping his son, and his mother is a homemaker who sells about 35 kilograms of vegetables door-to-door. His older brother contributes to the family's needs by managing a fast-food kiosk.
Participation in international tournaments was a difficult challenge for Amardip, as he had to take out loans for travel. However, the Jharkhand Tugboat Association supported him by covering part of the expenses. For instance, for a trip to Malaysia, he had to take out a loan of about 65 thousand rupees, while the Association helped cover approximately half of this amount along with his family.
Amardip began looking for a government job in 2020, but then the coronavirus pandemic began. Since 2022, he has continued active searches, but so far unsuccessfully. Balancing work and sports is extremely difficult for him; sometimes he has to work as a taxi driver at night, which makes it hard to attend morning training sessions. Nevertheless, he does not intend to give up his sports career, stating that he is coping with all difficulties and has not given up.
His sporting achievements testify to his perseverance: he won his first gold in 2015 at the Asian Junior Tugboat Championship in Malaysia. He later won gold at the Indo-Nepal Tugboat Championship in Kathmandu in 2017. In 2019, he was also a winner at the South Asian Tugboat Championship in Bangalore. He won his last gold in 2026 at the second tournament in the same discipline held in Ranchi.
After Amardip's story became known, the state head Hemmat Soren took control of the situation. He posted a message on his social media account, urging the sports department to immediately consider the matter and take appropriate measures. Following the governor's post, the state Sports Minister Sudivya Sonu commented on the situation in a phone conversation with 'Aajtak'. He stated that the government is studying how to include Amardip in the state based on existing policies, and other employment options are also being considered.
Amardip continues to prepare for further sporting appearances. He announced that he plans a trip to Sri Lanka at the end of October 2026 to participate in a tournament. Thus, while this champion, who has brought medals to the country, prepares to compete on the international stage, he is simultaneously fighting to provide for his family's needs through vegetable trading and taxi driving.