Money comes in the way of Odisha kickboxer’s Bangkok date

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Chhatrapur, Mar 9:

Lack of adequate funds may mar the chances of talented kickboxer B Yashoda Reddy of Brahmapur city in Odisha’s Ganjam district taking part in the first World Martial Arts Council Games beginning at Bangkok in Thailand from March 12.

She is the only woman kickboxer from Odisha to be selected in the national team that would participate in the championship.

“Yashoda has won awards in the state level championships held at Rourkela and Bhubaneswar and national championship at Patna in which she played against West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. However, this talented Mari Kom of Odisha needs adequate sponsorship to fulfil her long-cherished dream of participating in the Olympic Games in Brazil in August next year,” said her coach N Balakrishna Reddy.

Yashoda is hopeful of getting financial assistance from the state government to participate in the event.

She had met Ganjam collector Premchand Choudhury on February 26 and had requested him at arrange for funds to finance his particpation in the Thai capital. The collector, while congratulating her, had assured her of financial assistance.

A native of T Brahmapur area of Chhatrapur block in Ganjam district, Yashoda is presently staying in a rented house at Redikka Sahi in Lanjipally in Brahmapur city with her parents.

Despite being a daily wage labourer, B Areya has provided all assistance to his daughter. Apart from this, international gold medallist and coach N Balakrishna Reddy has also provided necessary assistance to her.

With his effort, Yashoda had participated in the All India Kickboxing Championship in Bihar in December last year. On the basis of her performance there, she was selected in the national team for the ensuing International Kickboxing Championship at Bangkok.

“My sister, who had discontinued her studies due to acute poverty, is now reading in Plus Two Science with her monthly income of Rs 2000 by imparting martial art training to two students. She does household works to help her ailing mother in the morning and then goes out for one-hour training inside a temple premises at Lanjipally from 7 AM to 8 AM,” said B Jagannath Reddy.

He also said her sister has hired the gloves and other equipment she uses as she does not have enough money to buy these gears.

He, however, said that the money collected by his sister so far is not sufficient to participate in the championship.