Fall From Grace! National Gold Medallist Sprinter Lokesh Struggles To Make Ends Meet

Neeraj Chopra might have clinched a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. However, many athletes still struggle for basic needs even after winning medals at various national championships.

Father Is A Rickshaw Puller And Mother Is A Housemaid

One such struggling athlete is Lokesh Kumar, a sprinter from Delhi who bagged a gold medal in 200m in April this year. However, six months down the line and Kumar is in dire straits.

"My father is a rickshaw puller who earns on a daily basis, and mother used to work as a maid in bungalows and earns ₹2,500 per month, so there is specific monthly earning, if we get food at one time there is no guarantee that we will get next time or the next day, A national level athlete needs a proper diet for his game, but I fail, to get that. With the help of my coach, I have some dry fruits to eat, and he also provides me with some necessary things to eat, but still, I am not able to get a proper diet," The New Indian Express reported Kumar as saying.

He also has to travel to many places for practice, which impacts his training practice and routine. " I have to travel from far, and I also need money for proper milk intake, so I have to cut my travel expense which I can't afford to, so I cut down on my milk intake, and I drink warm water as a substitute," he rued

Vipin Lohit, Kumar's coach, said that he has full confidence in the sprinter's abilities and is sure that he will overcome all odds to make a name for himself.

The story of Kumar's plight, however, is not new. The tale of the forgotten is one that is all too familiar.

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