Poverty forces national level boxer to work as sweeper in WB
Howrah, July 05 (ANI): Poverty has forced India's former national-level boxer, Krishna Raut, to work as sweeper in a civic body, reflecting condition of sportspersons in the country. The 43-year-old was an ace boxer a few years back and had won several awards at the state and national level competitions. But now, he sprays disinfectants in the open drains of Howrah city in West Bengal. Raut won the Gold Medal in All-India Invitational Boxing Championship (the Surya Sen Trophy) in 1987 and the runner-up trophy in 1992. He now earns rupees 232 per day as a temporary worker in the Howrah Municipal Corporation. However, poverty had not dampened his spirit and he trains underprivileged students for boxing championships in the evening free of cost. The former athlete has appealed to the government for a better job. Raut lives in the city's slum with his family of five.
