National level shooter Pushpa Gupta reduced to selling noodles for survival

Vadodara: In a country like India, which boasts of some of the richest sportspersons in the world, there is a female champion who has been neglected to such levels that she now sells noodles on the roadside in order to earn her daily livelihood.

Lack of funds have forced Pushpa Gupta, a 21-year-old national-level shooter, to leave the 'expensive' sport and sell noodles from a cart in order to earn a living and support her family as well and it's a heartbreaking sight as she has hung her shiny medal on the cart in order to attract the attention of customers.

"I had joined college in 2013 and it was there that I discovered that I have skills in shooting. I joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and it supported me financially. I represented Gujarat in the sport as well. Then I started getting interest in the sport," Pushpa Gupta told ANI.

She said that after the NCC course got over, she was unable to continue with the sport as it was way too expensive and the financial aid from the military organisation also ended.

"After support from the NCC ended, my father told me to discontinue with the sport and start some business in order to earn living. Since then we have been selling noodles on this lorry and now it has over been one year," she added.

She asserted that it has been one and a half year since she has handled a rifle in her hands.

Her father, Dinesh Kumar Gupta, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about women empowerment but as far as he was concerned, it was only there on the televisions and the newspapers and nothing was on the ground.

"Ever since Modi Ji has become the Prime Minister, there has been a huge stress being put on women empowerment. But, we have not received any benefit from it as of now. It is just there on the televisions and the newspapers," Dinesh Kumar Gupta, father of Pushpa told ANI.

"Presently, we have a woman MP in the area we are living in. The Chief Minister of the state is also a woman. If we would have received anything from the sports authority or from the government, then she would not be selling noodles on the streets and would have brought honour for the nation in the field of sports," he added.

He expressed his hope that his daughter is given an opportunity to showcase her talent and prove her mettle. 

Sunita Godara, former athlete, said Pushpa “should have got placed in government job”.

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