[Watch] From Football To Food Delivery Agent; What Went Wrong In This Player’s Life?

By OB Bureau On Jan 17, 2023

New Delhi: The way Indian women athletes and players are treated is no big secret. The disparity doesn’t end here. The opportunities available to them are far lesser, they are paid almost a pittance compared to their male counterparts, and the boarding, lodging facilities and equipment made available to them have been the subject of media discussions and news coverage.

One such case of gross neglect is that of sports talent is that of a former woman footballer seen working as a Zomato delivery agent.

The story of Poulomi Adhikari was shared through a video by Twitter user @SanjuktaChoudh5. West Bengal’s Poulomi Adhikari represented India at the U-16 level. She now works as a food delivery agent for Zomato, earning Rs 300-400 per day. In the video, she claims to have travelled to the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sri Lanka while representing India. Adhikari lost her mother when she was a small child, and she is the sole provider for her family and is currently enrolled at Charuchandra University.

This was here tweet-

She is Polami Adhikary a football player who has represented India at the international level. Today she has to support her family as an online food delivery person. #football pic.twitter.com/pGnJ0QOUEg

— Sanjukta Choudhury (@SanjuktaChoudh5) January 10, 2023

This video was shared on January 10. Since being uploaded, it has been viewed 46,000 times and has had 1800 likes. Many people have reacted to the clip.

In the video, Polami, dressed as a Zomato delivery agent can be heard answering why she chose to be a food delivery partner. She says, “I’m professionally a football player. I have played on both national and international levels. But I had to take up food delivery through Zomato, Swiggy and other odd jobs to make ends meet.”

The clip also reveals more details about her life. A resident of Behala, Kolkata, she shares that she’s a final-year student at Charuchandra college. She also explains how she has represented India in various football tournaments, Under-16 championships as well as travelled to Germany, the UK, Sri Lanka and many other places for her sport.