Cuttack: His only goal in life now is to eke out a living and provide for his family. Call it a quirk of fate or government apathy, Ashok Das, once a famous footballer who played for Odisha at the national level, is now struggling to make ends meet. With his monthly earnings of Rs 7,000 from a contractual job, the ex-footballer finds it too difficult to manage his family of seven.
“It is really very tough for me to run my seven-member family with monthly Rs 7,000,” Ashok lamented.
He further stated that the cost of living and the medical expenses of his elderly parents are rising every day, while his salary remains the same.
Once tagged a superstar in the All India Kalinga Cup, Ashok failed to get a job. “I tried five times in the railways, twice in RBI and four times in Odisha Police, but was unable to get through. No one recommended my name for a job,” he added.
The footballer also lamented that private companies also did give him a chance despite his repeated pleas.
Ashok Das, who now lives with his family in the Purighat slum, had a childhood inclination towards football. When he was 12, he got a chance to play in the Cuttack Football League. “When I was 13, the jury of Cuttack Sports Hostel gave me the chance to stay at the sports hostel to hone my skills,” he recalled.
In 2002, he played under-19 Odisha football team hostel-level football matches. Das claims that he had played a key role in making Odisha runner-up at Varanasi that year.
Besides, he was made part of the under-21 Odisha team and played at the All India Kalinga Cup in 2005. That year, Cuttack Sports Hostel entered the final after defeating Mohammed Sporting by a goal. It was Ashok who had given the goal.
He also represented Odisha at the Santosh Trophy in 2009. In 2010, he played for the Odisha team (Plus-II Council) at an All-India match. Odisha had lifted the champion’s trophy and won gold, he added.
After he failed to get a job, he first started a paan shop, the earnings from which did not suffice to run his family. Later he helped his uncle to run a fish shop, but that job also did not last long.
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