In what comes out as a heart wrenching story, Radha Thakur who has been a 7-time District badminton champion, has also been financially crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The severity of the financial impact is of such a degree that Radha has been left on the verge of selling her badminton rackets to raise some money for her and her family amid testing times.
The Agra-based shuttler has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for rendering some kind of help to her for sustaining her livelihood.
Radha's family has faced the wrath of the Covid pandemic with all earning members of her family losing their jobs amid the ockdown, leaving the family with no source of income.
"I am a seven-time district champion. Both Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi always call for women empowerment. I request them to notice our plight. I really need your help. And I truly believe that they will help us," Radha Thakur told ANI.
Speaking about her family's current financial situation she said, "My father and brother lost their jobs during the lockdown. There is no source of income for our family. All our savings have also withered away. No one is even willing to lend us money. The last option is to sell my rackets, which will fetch me Rs 1,000-2,000. That would only get two or three days' meals for the whole family."
Opening up about the financial woes she faced while playing badminton at both the district and state level, Radha said, "Every tournament costs me around Rs 5000-6000, be it an all-India or state-level tournament. My family still somehow manages to provide me that amount. My father is a labourer. Despite all the hardship, my family still encourages me to play."