Cuttack: With India facing England at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack in the second ODI of the ongoing series between the two cricket teams, there’s much excitement among fans and cricket enthusiasts. But there is another side to the cricket frenzy. It’s not just entertainment but also a source of livelihood for a few underprivileged individuals like Bidyadhar Das, a person with physical disability.
A cricket enthusiast from Bhadrak, Das had gathered outside the Barabati stadium on Sunday to make the most of this earning opportunity. Battling his physical limitations, he stood for hours patiently to earn money by applying paint on the faces of other fans.
Whenever a game of cricket is allotted to the Odisha Cricket Association, Das ensures that he doesn’t miss a chance to join the excitement. Holding paint and brush in his hands, he earns about Rs 500 to Rs 600 a day — depending upon the level of excitement among fans —by painting Tricolour on the faces of cricket enthusiasts.
Each time the stadium comes alive with a match, the hope of a livelihood boost is rekindled for Das. He also hopes that if more matches are allotted to Barabati Stadium at regular intervals, it will not just benefit him but also help a lot many vendors and sellers around the stadium. Now, Barabati stadium hosts international ODI once every five years.
A fan himself, Das couldn’t afford a ticket for himself to catch the action live and would feel the thrill from outside the stadium only but with no less cheer for Team India.
