It is said that in India sportsperson other then that of cricket are not given the respect they deserve. And news of Santhi Soundarajan confirms the same.
Santhi Soundarajan is a female Athlete who won a silver medal in the 800m at the Doha Asian Games in 2006. However she lost the medal and all her previous accolades and feats when she failed a gender test.
Athletics Federation of India has banned her from participating at any level.
Santhi quit job of a coach at a paltry salary of Rs 5,000. She was then unemployed since 2010 and hence is forced to work as a daily-wager in a brick kiln to earn Rs 200 every day to make ends meet.
She works for eight hours to earn the wage paid to women laborers.
Here is a similar story from South Africa: Caster Semenya a middle-distance runner lost the gold in Berlin World Championship 2009 when she failed gender test. Her nation fought for her dignity and International Association of Athletics Federations revoked the ban on her.
She is South Africa's flag-bearer at the London Olympics 2012.
"My hands ache and burn all the time. The skin has peeled off, there are boils all over," Santhi told a leading newspaper.
She met district administration but didn't get any help. She even tried to meet M Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha but was denied permission.
She has a family of six, and her parents, Soundararajan and Manimegalai also work in the brick unit.
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