For athletes anywhere, just qualifying for the Olympics can be a full-time job. But in India, training full-time is a luxury few can afford. That means many athletes work part-time government jobs. And for some, it can result in a job for life.
In return for putting in an appearance at the office, athletes like shooter Suma Shirur get a monthly salary and time to train.
“As soon as I got the offer of joining the railways, I just kind of grabbed it,” Shirur says, “and slowly kind of of made me a little more financially stable, and I could pursue the sport the way I wanted.”
Despite her degree in chemistry, Shirur does basic data entry. “Every day I would go to office and I would think, 'Oh, my God, what am I doing here?’ I would always talk to myself. I would say to myself that this is not my goal. My goal is to go to the Olympics, and I’m here only for my salary. I’m here only for my paycheck,” she says.
Shirur used her job at the railway to make it to the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she finished eighth.
India’s government-run railway, police and army are the biggest employers of athletes. In general, the jobs are for life and athletes get promotions based on how well they do at competitions.
The Indian government has upped its spending on its Olympic program recently. But that doesn’t always trickle down past the country’s top performers.
Vikas Krishan is one of the country’s top boxers and will be competing in the London Olympics, which start later this month. He says he gets plenty of support now, including a job as a police officer, but it came after he was successful on his own.
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