Jajpur: At a time when Odisha government makes tall claims to have taken measures to promote and develop sports with the state capital being promoted as the ‘Sports Capital’ of India, a national-level woman football player from Jajpur district has been striving hard in paddy fields here to eke out a living for herself and her aged father.
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Laxmi Munda, a 20-year-old tribal girl from Mangalpur village under Sukinda block in Jajpur district, who made a name for herself in the national-level women’s football team, is now working in fields amid COVID-19 outbreak and a stagnant career owing to closure of sporting activities.
Laxmi hails from an underprivileged family who had to take charge as the breadwinner after her elder sister got married and mother passed away a few months back. Left with no other choice, she started working in paddy fields in her village.
After finishing her primary education from a village school, she got enrolled in Mahamayee High School where she started playing football. She made it to the block and district levels in the sport bringing laurels to her school and Jajpur district as well.
After she completed her matriculation, she took admission in Deba Ray College in Bhubaneswar. There she got an opportunity to continue her football practice. Later, she joined Bhuban Women’s College in Dhenkanal district for her graduation with Economics honours and is currently pursuing her studies as a final year student.
Laxmi has been playing football for more than 10 years. She has played more than 10 matches in several states, including Goa and Madhya Pradesh. Before the pandemic struck her steep moving career, the 20-year-old girl took training in Nita Ambani Football Academy Bhubaneswar and later in Biju Patnaik Women’s Football Academy for around five months.
However, now she can be seen sweating it out in farmlands to feed herself and her old father.
The young girl’s professor from Bhuban College Dillip Kumar Das recently talked about her struggle and hard work and said how Laxmi stood out not just as a good student but also a passionate footballer, despite all odds.
PNN