Odisha’s Arjun Awardee Weightlifter Continues To Grapple With Burdens Of Life

Berhampur: Arjun awardee weightlifter Bijay Kumar Satpathy from Odisha’s Ganjam district continues to struggle for providing a decent life to his life with no support or recognition coming from the state government in 42 years.

A resident of Somnath Nagar near Aska Road in Berhampur, Bijay had received the Arjuna Award from the former President Gyani Jail Singh on August 29, 1982.

“It was the happiest moment of my life as I consider the Arjuna Award as the last goal of a sportsperson. I received the certificate, the memento and Rs 5,000 in cash at that time. I am still preserving the memento and the certificate. I have also preserved all the medals I have won in various national and international events. But all those seem meaningless as very few people in Odisha even in my native Berhampur know that I am the first weightlifter of Odisha to bag the Arjuna Award,” Bijay said.

Bijay was the national champion in weightlifting for five consecutive years from 1977-78 to 1982-83. He came second in 1980-81 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. He also won Bronze in Asian Championship at Nagoya in Japan in 1981-82, Gold in 1981 Mini Commonwealth Games at Brisbane in Australia, Silver in 1982 CWG at Brisbane.

He was able to lift 147 kg in clean and jerk, 107 to 110 kg in snatch in 59 kg category and 105 kg in snatch and 135 kg to 137 kg in clean and jerk in 56 kg category.

“There was no continuous coaching, no nutritious diet and no gyms with modern facilities to practise. Prior to any international event, we were given training for 15 to 30 days at Patiala,” he recalled.

Bijay started weightlifting when he was a student of Municipal High School. He joined the Indian Navy as a Leading Electrical Mechanic Power (LEMP) in sports quota in 1974 and continued in the job for 10 years. Later, he joined the Indian Railway as a Guard in 1985 and took VRS in 2009 after serving 24 years and six months.

“The biggest irony is that the state government has never cared to meet me since I received the Arjuna Award. Former Chief Minister Janaki Ballav Patnaik had only awarded Rs 10,000 to me once,” he said. When he applied for a house plot, the application went missing from the Department of Sports, he added.

Bijay, who is 71 now, lives in his paternal house with his wife Sabitarani and two sons Jagannath and Somnath. The entire family managed with the meagre pension he gets from the Railways.

“My younger son Somnath was very much interested in weightlifting. But he was compelled to sacrifice his passion and worked as LIC agent as I was unable to afford his special diet and training,” he said.

Bijay’s health has deteriorated in the last 3 years and he hardly goes out of his house. He never attends any social functions. He tries to keep fit with regular practice of Yoga.