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Olympic boxing qualifier waits for his promotion indefinitely
Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s promise to upgrade Jai Bhagwan to the post of an Inspector remains to be fulfilled
Neeraj Mohan
Chandigarh
The promises made by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to London Olympics qualifier boxer Jai Bhagwan are yet to be fulfilled. Bhagwan, who hails from Hisar and is ready to fly to London on Thursday, was in fact assured by Hooda that he will be promoted to the rank of Inspector in Haryana Police before leaving for the Games.
But Bhagwan, who is currently working as a sub-inspector, is disappointed over the government’s inaction to meet the promises saying, “Not even a single officer of Haryana, including ruling party MLA, wished me before I left my hometown for Delhi from where the flight is scheduled to take off tomorrow.” However, local MP Kuldeep Bishnoi and Abhey Chautala spoke to him over phone and wished him luck.
Bhagwan, a resident of a sleepy hamlet Niranjan in Jind district, brought his home town pride by winning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. He is among the top eight boxers around the world who qualified for the London Olympics. Interestingly, he is a junior most sub-inspector among the five Olympic qualifier boxers holding DSP rank in Haryana Police.
Recalling the promise Hooda made during his recent meeting at the CM’s residence, Bhagwan sounds disillusioned. “The CM perhaps forgets his promise, which is discouraging me,” Bhagwan says.
Son of a government employee, Bhagwan has been winning gold for Haryana at national level continuously since 2001 and at the top position in 60kg category of National Boxing Team. “It was in 1997, when my then land lord, a part time boxer, became my role model and assisted me with tips about boxing. He pushed me daily to work hard for five hours a day in the field. My first achievement was winning a gold medal for Hisar at the state level in 1998, which encouraged me to win gold for Haryana at the national level in 1999 for which I got a cash award of Rs 3,100 from Haryana government. Since then I never looked back, putting aside financial obligations of my family. I got full support from my father, who is a clerk in the Haryana government,” he says.
“But it pains me that I do not get any promotion for the last eight years, when I was appointed as sub inspector in Haryana Police, despite my achievements and the gold medals I won for Haryana,” rues Bhagwan. “Despite bringing more honour for the Haryana government I am the junior most, whereas the remaining Olympic qualifiers are all DSPs,” signs off Bhagwan, disappointment hanging dense over his voice.
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