Kho-kho champ's prize money, Fixed Deposits gone treating dad for COVID

Aniket Pote is one of the best diving tacklers in the Indian khokho team but today his finances have nosedived Aniket 23 player of the tournament in Indias 2016 Asian KhoKho Championshipwinning team has spent all his prize money on his family in the lockdownAniket Potes father Bhagwan 56 is employed as a driver with BEST and was on emergency duty since March ferrying doctors nurses and policemen between Bandra Reclamation and Tata Colony in Bharat Nagar Bandra East on Route 215However on June 6 Pote Sr contracted the virus and had to be hospitalisedldquoIt has been a tough time physically mentally and financially for us but Aniket gave me confidence For my treatment he broke one of his fixed deposits of R1 lakh from the money he received when he won the Shiv Chhatrapati award in 2018 Before that he had to break a FD of the same amount to pay the annual rent of R120 000 R10000 per month for our home a small room in the Nirmal Nagar slums of Khar East Currently I have recovered from Coronavirus but our financial struggles are far from overrdquo Bhagwan told midday on WednesdayFamily to feedAniket who has also represented India in a series against England besides having played five Senior Nationals and four Federation Cups lives in the oneroom tenement with his mother Chaya 46 who works as a housemaid elder brother Rupesh 27 a driver with a private company and younger brother Swapnil 21 an office boy with a private firmIndia khokho player Aniket Pote PicFacebookAniket received R51000 as player of the tournament when India beat Bangladesh in the 2016 Asian KhoKho Championship final in Indore Later that year the Maharashtra government felicitated him and presented him a cash award of R7 lakh ldquoIts my duty to take care of my parents and family so I had no hesitation in spending all my prize money I know how hard my father and mother have worked for usrdquo said Aniket who currently has no source of income even as his father is down with a throat infectionldquoMy father is currently suffering from a throat infection which needs urgent treatment I used to play khokho for a bank on a contractual basis but that has stopped since the lockdown Previously I have applied to the Western Railway as well as the Maharashtra government for a job in the sports quota but I havent heard from them I desperately need one to help my family surviverdquo added Aniket a final year Bachelor of Arts student at Bandras Rizvi CollegeDeserving of jobAniket Pote centre with mum Chaya and dad Bhagwan at their residence in KharAnikets coach Narendra Kunder said the boy is one of Indias best players ldquoAniket deserves a government job on his sporting merit but unfortunately we do not know any top politician or minister who can help him Besides playing for India he has represented Maharashtra in 19 nationallevel tournaments He is a disciplined and dedicated sportsman and its his oncourt fighting spirit that is helping him survive poverty off the fieldrdquo Kunder saidCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates hereAlso download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news