Rajendra Singh Dhami a 30 year old, former captain of Indian wheelchair cricket team and present captain of the Uttarakhand , has now work as a labourer to support his family.Rajendra is 90% disabled after he suffered with paralysis as a 3-year-old. He has won numerous awards for his performance in the cricket field.
He also has master degree in History as well as a BEd. qualifications and performance as a sportsperson, Rajendra has represented the country and continues to play for the state, he was left without a source of income during the Covid-19-induced lockdown.
The kids he coached earlier have stopped coming to him for training. Their parents said they have no money.
“Before this, I was giving coaching to wheelchair-bound children interested in playing cricket in Rudrapur. But that came to a halt. I returned to my village Raikot in Pithoragarh, where my parents live,” Dhami told TOI.
“My parents are old. I have a sister and younger brother as well. My brother used to work at a hotel in Gujarat but he, too, lost his job during the lockdown. Therefore, I decided to take up work in my village under the MGNREGA scheme,” said the cricketer. Rajendra has also toured several countries like Malaysia, Bangladesh and Nepal while leading the Uttarakhand wheelchair cricket team.
Rajendra Dhami also led the Indian side in the India-Nepal-Bangladesh triangular wheelchair cricket series in 2017.
“ Some people have come forward to help, like actor Sonu Sood who sent me Rs 11,000. There are people in Rudrapur and Pithoragarh also who have helped me a bit. But it hasn’t been enough for the family. There is no problem in doing any kind of job to earn a living. I took up the MGNREGA job because it enables me to work near my home. These are difficult times but I know I will be able to overcome them,” he said.