After representing India in international hockey, former player Vincent Lakra now does paddy farming to feed his family of 11 members. Official neglect has turned his life into a struggle in the Sithraa village in Dharamjaigarh block of Raigarh district, a remote tribal village in Chhattisgarh.
The first glorious moment in Lakra's life came in the 1978 World Cup at Buenos Aires, Argentina where India went on to defeat the hosts to finish fifth in the competition. "Lakra was one of the best central forwards in the team that played 1978 World Cup in Argentina. His energy level was tremendous and he never used to get tired on the ground," said former Indian great Balbir Singh to TOI over the phone.
Although he was a part of the team in the 1970 Commonwealth Games, due to unfortunate circumstances, he could not put on the Indian jersey. He played his final match way back in 1984.
While announcements of cash prizes for the Olympics and Paralympics are raining from the state governments, Lakra, even after playing for 14 years at domestic and international level was denied financial support from the Chhattisgarh government.
A friend of late Bollywood actor Sunil Dutt, he recalled wistfully, "Being a sports lover, Dutt was very friendly with me during my glorious days. Once, he asked me to settle down in Mumbai but I could not do so as I had to return to my native village Dharamjaigarh to support my family. Since 1984, I am living here at my village. I played many matches for Bombay Gold Cup, Aga Khan Cup of Pakistan and Murugappa Gold Cup in Chennai."
At this point, no support has come in his way. As a result of which, Lakra cannot give his children proper education or even provide them basic amenities. "I don't even have a pakka (lintel) house to live. I get a pension of Rs 5,000 from the state government but that is not enough to support a family of 11 members," he added.
Lakra though seems to have taken it in his stride. He tried his hand in coaching but failed to turn the things in my favour. Apparently, the state government is in the process of revising the policy to honour veterans swho represented the nation in Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. But it remains to be seen whether the player who was a part of Team India that played matches in Holland, England, and Pakistan can live in dignity.
