Pinky Karmakar, 2012 London Olympics Torchbearer, Working As Daily Wage Labourer in Assam Tea Garden for Rs 167/Day

At 17 years of age, Assam’s Pinky Karmakar was India’s torchbearer at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Two Olympic Games later, Pinky, sadly, is working as a labourer at Borborooah tea estate. And, Pinky now earns just Rs 167 per day. After the 2012 London Games, Pinky received a warm welcome in her home state and back then, she would have never thought that almost after a decade later she would be toiling hard to make ends meet. Dhanalakshmi Sekar, India’s Olympian at Tokyo 2020, Breaks Down After Knowing About Sister’s Death on Returning Home.

“I had big dreams, but now there is nothing left to hope. After my mother’s death, I had to drop out of college due to acute financial hardship and start working as a labourer in the tea garden,” Pinky was quoted as saying by Times of India. Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Lovlina Borgohain and Other Athletes Return from Tokyo Olympics 2020, Fans Welcome Olympians.

Pinky claims that she hasn’t received the promised remuneration. “Till date, I have not received anything. The truth is that the daughter of a labourer has remained a labourer,” Pinky added.

Pinky Karmakar's Struggle

She used to run UNICEF’s Sports for Development (S4D) programme in her school and also teach women every evening. However, Pinky now has been tagged a ‘failure’. “I cannot give advice to anyone. Everyone questions me what I have achieved in life. The government and UNICEF have abandoned me,” she said. Pinky is now taking care of her retired father, younger brother and two sisters as she toils hard in a tea garden.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2021 11:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).