4 golds for India but hurling star Amardeep was forced to sell vegetables and drive a taxi

Jharkhand player Amardeep has won international gold medals for the country, but despite his achievements, he sells vegetables and drives a taxi to support himself and his family. The 29-year-old handball star from Jharkhand has won four gold medals for India at international events. However, due to the sports policy of the state, he failed to secure a place in the government. Amardeep now sells vegetables at Argora Chowk in Ranchi to earn money and support his family. He also drives a taxi to make extra money.

Speaking to Aaj Take over phone, Amardeep said that several of his teammates from Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Bihar have secured government posts. He added that the Haryana player, who played alongside him and also served as his captain, received various benefits from the state government. However, Amardeep’s requests for monetary reward and government employment remained pending.

Amardeep said he had repeatedly brought the issue to the attention of the authorities. He also met former Jharkhand Sports Minister Hafizul Hasan but his efforts yielded no results.

Amardeep said his family consists of his mother, father and elder brother. His father sells vegetables and Amardeep helps him with the business. His mother is a housewife, but she also sells vegetables from door to door and carries about 35 kg of crops on her head. His older brother runs a fast food stand to contribute to the family’s income.

Amardeep said he has been approaching the government for an incentive or reward since 2016 but has not received any help so far.

He also had to borrow money to participate in international tournaments, though the Jharkhand Throwball Association supported him along the way.

To travel to Malaysia, Amardeep told Aaj Tak that he had to borrow Rs 65,000. His family and the throwing association helped him raise the money, with the Jharkhand Throwball Association covering about half of the total cost.

He has been trying to secure a government job since 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted those efforts. He resumed his attempts in 2022 and has continued to work since then.

Amardeep described his life as one of constant hard work and struggle. He said that riding late into the night often makes it difficult to complete training the next morning, but he continues to balance his work and sports career and is not about to give up.

He is expected to travel to Sri Lanka in late October 2026 to participate in the tournament.

Amardeep won his first international gold medal at the Asian Junior Throw-ball Championship in Malaysia in 2015. He went on to win the Indo-Nepal Throw-ball Championship in Kathmandu in 2017, the South Asian Throw-ball Championship in Bengaluru in 2019 and the second edition of the same championship in Ranchi in 2026.

The matter has now drawn the attention of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who reported the matter on his X account and directed the sports department to immediately look into the matter and initiate appropriate action.

After the Chief Minister’s post, Minister of State for Sports Sudivya Sonu told Aaj Tak over phone that the government was looking into how Amardeep could be given employment under the existing sports policy. He added that the authorities are also considering other possible job opportunities for athletes.

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Published on:

01 Sep 2026 23:10 IST