Due to lack of funds and below-par training equipment, the country has been lagging behind in a number of sports. There’s no denying that. On the other hand, there have been cases of teams and individuals who’ve worked hard in making their nation proud at some stage or the other have been abandoned by the government and end up being poor or homeless. Those who made it big, did not get their due credit.
Take the latest example of Muhammad Imran, who is one of those currently neglected because of the 'Indian' stigma. The Gorakhpur-born hockey coach has churned out eight international and more than 50 national players. Former Indian women's team vice-captain Nidhi Khullar is one of his students. Other students of Imran include players such as Rita Pandey, Rajni Choudhari, Sanjeev Ojha, Pratima Choudhari, Janardan Gupta, and Sanvar Ali.
But his featured hat is useless today, for all his historic achievements can do little to feed him and his family. Imran did not wait around for non-existent monetary benefits. He got in other trades that could have served him better than the government's support ever did. Imran himself used to play for Fertilisation Corporation of India but the fall from grace became complete when he was compelled to sell tracksuits on a bicycle in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district after the Fertilisation Corporation of India was shut down.
A father of two children, Imran continues to struggle to keep her family afloat and collect money for his daughter's wedding. But that doesn't stop him from training aspiring young hockey players of the district.
The tale of woe of helpless sports legends like the aforementioned has very few takers. While we passionately hunt for sporting talent in the by-lanes of our country and feverishly pray for more Olympic medals, a consideration for the dignified existence of the real unsung heroes like Muhammad Imran would not be wrong.
Not just the money but also the cruel, unjust and inhuman treatment meted out to sportspersons like Muhammad Imran is highly demoralising. The day we start treating the efforts of the coaches and players equally, the condition of sports in our country is bound to improve.Here’s a heartbreaking video on Muhammad Imran:
