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Football

Zomato delivery girl Poulami Adhikari hopes to rekindle her football dream

Once a national team player, Poulami now slogs as a delivery girl to make ends meet.

Zomato delivery girl Poulami Adhikari hopes to rekindle her football dream
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Poulami Adhikari (Source: Free Press Journal)

By

The Bridge Desk

Updated: 12 Jan 2023 10:29 AM GMT

Indian Football is a cesspool of riches-to-rags stories in which footballers who were once filled with promise, are now compelled to live a life of obscurity, often taking up odd jobs to get their daily sustenance.

After the World Cup 2022 in Qatar drew its curtains, The Bridge spoke to one such former national team player, Arindam Ghoshal, who had represented the country in the Homeless World Cup, and now earns his daily bread by driving around an auto.

Another similar case which has in recent times become viral on social media is that of Poulami Adhikari. A clip of the former footballer has been doing the rounds, which also has been picked up by certain mainstream media, where she is clad in her Zomato delivery attire and is quizzed on her footballing past.

A local of Shibrampur, Behala in West Bengal, Adhikari was asked why she had chosen to be a delivery person. "Professionally, I'm a footballer. I've played both nationally and internationally in the past. But when that didn't work out, I had to do something to get my food," she said with a smile in the above video.

With her mother having passes away when Poulami was young, and her father seldom getting work as a driver, the defender is the only earning member of her family.

In a longer feature with ABP Ananda, the 24-year-old reveals how she was part of the Indian women's U-16 national team, and had even taken part in the 2013 qualifiers for the AFC U-16 Women's Championship. Then suddenly, her flourishing career was brought to a standstill due to an injury.

However, she didn't give up. After recovering, she represented India at the 2016 Homeless World Cup which was held in Glasgow, where the country finished 6th, she said. Unfortunately, the Kolkata-local had to sideline her career after returning from the World Cup.

"When I came back, I didn't receive any support as such, from Bengal or anywhere, which I should have. Moreover, there was also the responsibility of running the house, which my father wasn't being able to manage alone. Hence, I was compelled to pick up the Zomato bag," Poulami told ABP Ananda.

With only about Rs. 400-500 daily income in her pockets, Adhikari wishes to get involved with the sport once again and get a chance to play for the senior women's national team. According to a Free Press Journal article, the All India Football Federation has reportedly contacted her. Hence, Poulami's hope to rekindle her footballing career might still be afloat.

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