Rifle shooter facing financial crunch gets job offer from GSFC

Vadodara

A 21-year-old state-level rifle shooter, who was forced to set up a food stall here due to financial constraints, has been offered a job by city-based Gujarat State Fertilizers Company (GSFC).

Pushpa Gupta, winner of 8 medals in different state-level competitions in Gujarat, opened a Chinese food stall in February this year to fund the purchase of sophisticated gear required of the sport and to continue pursuing her dream of becoming a national champion.

The GSFC has now offered Gupta a job after getting to know about her plight.

“I visited her home and met her yesterday after learning about her side of story and setting up a food stall for earning a livelihood and supporting her family,” GSFC Chairman Sudeep Kumar Nanda told PTI over phone today.

Nanda has offered Pushpa a clerical job in GSFC as she is an undergraduate.

He also spoke to an official of the city-based Baroda Rifle club to provide her training in further improving her skills in the sport.

“Our club will help her,” Baroda Rifle club office-bearer Ishwarsingh said.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from Vadodara Ranjanben Bhatt has also assured Pushpa of all help from the government.

“I visited the rifle shooter’s home on the outskirts of the city and assured to provide necessary help under various schemes of Central and Gujarat governments. I have understood her problems and will make all attempts to resolve them,” Bhatt said.

Gupta, who originally hails from Uttar Pradesh, had earlier told PTI that she left the expensive sport about one-and-half years ago after she found it difficult to go outside Gujarat to participate in national-level rifle shooting championships.

“I also left the sport due to financial condition of my family. My father, Dinesh, who sells vegetable and works in a private company is not in a position to fund my journeys to these places,” she had said.

“Buying a rifle, which costs over Rs 5 lakh, and its kit and other materials needed for it were out of question, and hence I was compelled to give up the sport,” she said.

To attract customers, she displayed her 8 medals at the food stall.

PTI