International tournament footballer is now a food delivery girl, Paulmi Adhikari's morning starts a little earlier than most. He got up early in the morning and left with his bicycle. He then carried the food ordered by the people in a large bag on his back and cycled to the customer's home. This is how he spends his days. Work in Indian food delivery company Zomato.
Paulmi used to run in the field with the football in the morning. Football is his addiction. She has represented India in international tournaments for the under-16 women's team. And now, as luck would have it, people have to give up their football addiction and run from house to house in the morning. The bastards took him off the field and left him on a broken path.
Paulmi, 24, said his job now is to deliver food ordered on Zomato's app to customers. But his passion is football.
Paulmi used to play football for the India under-16 women's team. He has also represented the country in many international tournaments. But this game could not reduce the financial crisis of the family. So he was forced to find this job.
In 2013, Poulmi went to Sri Lanka to play. There she participated in the qualifying matches of the South Asian Football Federation Women's Junior Championship. In 2016 he went to Glasgow to play in the Homeless World Cup (an international football tournament).
Paulmi was born in Kolkata to a lower-class family in Shivrampur, south of the Hooghly River. The local people call him Bulti. His mother died when he was two months old. Then he grew up in the family of his aunt (mother's sister). His father is a part time taxi driver.
At the age of seven, Palmy became interested in taking to the field after watching local boys play football in a neighborhood field. He can easily play in the field dressed like a boy. Playmates also believed, Palmy Boy.
"But when they found out I was a girl, their parents started complaining to the field officials and my aunt," said Polemi. "How can a girl wearing shorts play football with a boy?" ?'
Paulmi was very distressed by this incident. He said, 'I have really suffered a lot. I would like to play on the field. Because of this, I used to cry everyday after returning home.
Paulmi's aunt says that she has done many things to make Paulmi's dream come true. arranged for his practice. In this, Palmy did well. He quickly came to the attention of local football coach Anita Sarkar. Palmy later played for the Kolkata Football League girls team under the tutelage of Anita Sarkar. At the age of 12, he was selected as a player for the India Under-16 team.
"Putting on the Indian jersey and representing the country at such a young age was the best moment of my career. I was very happy when I wore the country's jersey for the first time," said Poulmi, looking back at the memories.
In 2013, Poulmi went to Sri Lanka to play. There she participated in the qualifying matches of the South Asian Football Federation Women's Junior Championship. In 2016 he went to Glasgow to play in the Homeless World Cup (an international football tournament). There he was paid around $100 per match. But there were also some difficulties.
"Due to our family's financial situation, we could never afford proper football equipment," Paulmi said. Even three times a day is not enough.
Poulmi had suffered a major setback in 2018. Major foot injuries require multiple surgeries. He had to rest for a long time. After that, he returned to the farm fully recovered, but the extreme hunger of the family prevented him from going to the farm.
If we talk about India and compare men's and women's football, it can be seen that many people do not watch women's football and do not think about it. Same is the condition of cricket. I have seen people take leave from work to watch men's cricket matches, but they don't care much for women's cricket matches. That's why women are generally neglected in sports.
_Poulmi Adhikari
Paulmi's elder sister went to her in-laws house as soon as she got married. Because of this, they have to look for work to help the family a little. He will have to leave the game of dreams and leave the field and look for a job. In 2020, at the start of the Corona pandemic, he got a job as a food delivery agent.
Some days he has to work in this work till one o'clock in the morning. Because of this, football is no longer played in the field. He works full time. In this work, he now earns Rs.300 a day. And they have to work for about 15 hours in two shifts.
"If I get a well-paying job where I can work 8 to 10 hours a day, I can easily take out 3 to 4 hours for football," said Palmi.
Women in India do not get the opportunity to pursue a career in sports. If you come from a poor family like Paulmi's, it is even more difficult.
Shanti Mallick,
_Former striker of India's national women's football team
Palmi said the country, perhaps even the world, is not ready to invest in women's sports. He said, 'If we talk about India and compare men's and women's football, it will be seen that many people do not watch women's football and do not think about it. Same is the condition of cricket. I have seen people take leave from work to watch men's cricket matches, but they don't care much for women's cricket matches. That's why women are completely neglected in sports. She still hopes to play professionally again if she gets the right support.
Former Indian women's national football team striker Shanti Mallick is the first woman footballer from the country to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award. He said, 'Women in India do not get a chance to make a career through sports. If you come from a poor family like Paulmi's, it is even more difficult. Had the circumstances been different, Paulmi could have become a professional player. I hope her story inspires us to step forward and invest in women's football. Then we will not lose any talent.
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