District badminton champion Radha Thakur, who has been hit financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and is on the verge of selling her rackets, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for help.
"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 .
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."
Talking about the problems she faced while playing badminton, she 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."
"I have played nationals for Uttar Pradesh three times. This time around I was supposed to play but due to COVID-19, the tournament was postponed. The amount I used to get from these events was enough to make up for my expenses. Now I don't have that anymore."
Binesh Devi, Radha's proud mother said that their family has face faced a lot of problems but they will continue to support her daughter's dreams.
"We both do everything in our means to help her grow. And make us all proud. We have told her to go ahead and play and we will look after everything else," she said.
( With inputs from ANI )