This Taekwondo Player From Manipur Sells Fruit To Raise Funds For Her Upcoming Tournaments
Diana Ningombam an international taekwondo player from Manipur has been selling fruit salads on the streets of Imphal to raise funds for her upcoming tournaments. She said that she did not want to burden her parents for the expenditure on her diet and training equipment. She earns between Rs 300-400 from her small business and receive encouragement from customers.
While we Indians cheer for sports like cricket and football and have been glued to Indian Premier League (IPL), we tend to forget that there are other sports and sportsmen that get sidelined. Due to lack of funds and facilities, inferior quality training equipment and not much support from the sporting federations, the country is lagging behind in non-cricketing sports.
Diana Ningombam, an international taekwondo player from Manipur has been selling fruit salads on the streets of Imphal to raise funds for her upcoming tournaments.
Diana started learning Taekwondo in 2006 and has won 15 medals at the national level as well as in international events, including a silver in Kukkiwon, South Korea in 2018.
Her daily routine is as follows - she wakes up at 3 am to make preparations and sells fruit salads from 4 am to 7 am. She then goes to practice in the evening at the Langjing Achouba Makha Leikai, a local sports complex, where she has been preparing for an upcoming tournament which will be held in Hong Kong.
I am with Diana Ningombam now at Kangla park. She is busy preparing fruit salads to the passerby. Let us support her. pic.twitter.com/j8XsT6coUm
¡ª Chowkidar Naorem Mohen (@laimacha) April 28, 2019
She said that she did not want to burden her parents for the expenditure on her diet and training equipment. Her father works as a printing machine mechanic whereas her mother works at a market to earn extra income.
She told The Bridge, ¡°I wanted to set an example that we shouldn¡¯t be dependent on others for our jobs. All of us can do the work and earn the money whenever we need. Though I¡¯m a player, I think I too can do the same. That¡¯s the reason why I started to sell fruit salads.¡±
¡°When I first stepped into sports, we required money to buy only sports tracksuits but players now have to manage their own transportation fees which is really hard for players belonging from poor family backgrounds,¡± she added.
She also said that she earns between Rs 300-400 from her small business and receive encouragement from customers.
She further told IFP, ¡°Almost all of my customers encourage me, there are also some who give me more than the actual price of the salad as an act of encouragement and support.¡±
After looking at the heartbreaking picture, people saluted her for her dedication:
1.
International Taekwondo player Diana Ningombam from Manipur is fundraising, for her upcoming International Tournament, through selling fruit salads every morning from 4 am to 8 am. @Ra_THORe sir pls take necessary action pic.twitter.com/7WBOfVczWG
¡ª Chowkidar Shankar Reddy (@mail2gsreddy) April 28, 2019
2.
We can raise fund but it is responsibility of Sports department , let's sports person of country come forwards @virendersehwag @GautamGambhir @NSaina @msdhoni
¡ª Tarun (@Tarun07287630) April 27, 2019
3.
Sportsperson of disciplines, other than cricket has to face a lot of financial hurdles. Even if the sportsperson is of international calibre, he/she has no recognition. After they cross the playing age, they are left to hand to mouth existence.
¡ª BhuYan (@nbhuyan9) April 27, 2019
4.
Crowd funding can be done through a campaign on SM. Pl initiate. I'm sure many people will come forward with contributions.
¡ª Vijaya Kumar Dar?? (@vijayadar) April 27, 2019
5.
Case shud be filed against local sports authority who gets funds to take care of athletes. Every sport in which India participate in international event gets some fund. In taikwondo we don¡¯t hv much players & she must get her due. Am I correct sir @Ra_THORe ?
¡ª AB (@iamamit74) April 28, 2019
6.
There's hardly any Union Minister who doesn't shower Manipur with flattering phrases like 'Jewel of India', 'Sports Power House of India' etc., but there's no Union Minister to help Diana.
¡ª Kongbrailatpam Rajeshwar Sharma (@KongbrailatpamS) April 28, 2019
What a bunch of hollow phrases!
Teams and individuals who work hard, put blood and sweat in making the country proud at international platforms have been abandoned by the government and the big question is why? Why not support those who made the country proud?
