Award-winning coach jobless and penniless

Mumbai: Gopal Nadgauda, 58, may have been felicitated by the Maharashtra government in May this year for being an exceptional athletics coach, but his is one among many stories of accomplished sportsman who live in penury in various corners of India.

Receiving a state award from the Guardian Minister of Pune district, Ajit Pawar, did indeed give Nadgauda the joy of making the dreams come true of hundreds of youngsters who wished to compete at various national-level tournaments.

At about the same time, however, he lost his job as a guard that paid him a paltry amount of Rs3,000 (Dh243) a month.

This, while his daughter Sarika, who is married and supported her parents with her entire salary of Rs7,000, also lost her job.

"Fortunately, she found one today," Nadgauda told Gulf News during a phone interview from Pimpri, Pune, where he has been living for the past four decades.

The first stadium in Pimpri-Chinchwad, the Annasaheb Magar Stadium at Nehrunagar, was inaugurated by Nadgauda.

The irony lies in the fact that not a single state or sports body has come forward to help Nadgauda.

He continues to give "training to youngsters for the last 25 years without taking fees", adding that "my aim was always to train poor children who could never get specialised coaching in athletics."

Special training

One of his protégés — Snehal Khaire — stood third in the Asian Masters Athletics Championship in 2006 while another, Ramdas Kudale, won a gold medal in long jump at the Open National tournament.

Nadgauda has participated in several events himself, in addition to excelling in the 4x400 relay district tournaments from 1971 to 1977.

Whilst Sarika feels dejected with her father dedicating himself to athletics and getting nothing in return, the District Athletics Association Secretary Prahlad Sawant believes that Nadgauda "has not marketed himself well."