Punjab: Disabled chess player Malika Handa asks for coach, government job; read her appeal

A disabled chess player from Jalandhar has urged the Punjab government to provide her with a coach and a government job. The desperate call came from Malika Handa, who has previously won several medals in national and international events, including a prestigious gold at World Deaf Chess Championship and a silver medal at the Asian Championship in Chess. 

Regardless of being a chess prodigy, Handa has failed to land any kind of financial support from the state government. Out of the ten years that she has been playing the sport, she has spent seven urging the state administration to provide her with a job. Recently, the seven-time world champion, took to Twitter to forward her plea. Tagging Punjab Sports Minister Rana Gurmit S Sodhi and Union Minster Anurag Thakur, Handa, she asked why was the administration snubbing her. 

"I m sitting at home why why Im getting depressed day by day No one sees my hard work," she wrote. 

'No appreciation from government'

Speaking to ANI later, Renu Handa, the player's mother said that her daughter has received no appreciation from the state government despite being a seven-time national champion. "My daughter is the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the International Deaf and Dumb Chess Championship. She also received a national award from President last year. She has received no appreciation from government despite being a seven-time national champion", said Renu Handa. Furthermore, she also revealed that the government was not even providing a coach to her. 

"The Punjab government is not even providing a coach to my daughter. She has won many medals for the country still is ignored by the government. We belong to a middle-class family and now, we can't support her to continue with her game. But to play at world level we need government support," Handa said.

Image: ANI