BHOPAL, 2 January 2006 — A 22-year-old Madhya Pradesh-level female boxer with a National Institute of Sports (NIS) degree in coaching. Looks like a humble success story on the face of it. But this young boxer is unemployed and struggling to make a mark in the male-dominated sport.
Sugandha Pradkar, one of the few Bhopal-based boxing coaches, had met former Chief Minister Uma Bharati, who assured her a coaching job more than a year ago. Since then she has been applying for the job, only to be rejected each time. The job promised to her was given to a male coach last year, when Sungandha was at a national camp. She has not met the Director of Sports Vijay Yadav but says that every time he was approached, he turned down her resume saying that boxing is a male-dominated sport. “My family and coach had approached director of sports. Every time he said that not many girls come to the stadium to learn boxing and therefore a female coach was not needed. By that logic we should not even hire female teachers in schools, because most of students are male. I don’t think gender should determine my capabilities as a coach. If female coaches are not appointed how will girls get motivated to take up sports?” she asks.
Sugandha has been unemployed for over a year and is currently pursuing Bachelor in Physical Education (BPEd) from Barkatullah University, Bhopal while she waits for a job.
Her coach Jayveer Singh believes this is a temporary phase. According to him she will very soon be employed, mainly because there are very few coaches in the state capital. “There are only three boxing coaches in Bhopal. Sooner of later she will get a job. It is a good thing that she is not wasting time and studying further,” he added.
Sugandha usually teaches part time in private schools, on an hourly basis to make ends meet. “My father expired when I was at NIS. Though my mother is supporting, it is difficult to carry on hoping for a job when you know there are no vacancies. I don’t like to teach for money. A government job gives the job security and also the satisfaction of teaching,” she added.
