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Tagged: Olympic Althletes

London 2012: The Summer Olympics
6:15 am
Wed July 18, 2012

Indian Athletes Want A Medal And A Government Job

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Credit AP
India's Sandeep Sejwal swims his way to gold in the 100-meter men's breaststroke at the 2006 South Asian Games in Sri Lanka. Sejwal, who competed in the Beijing Olympics two years later, has a government job with India's railway that accommodates his heavy training schedule.
Credit AP
India's Suma Shirur won bronze in women's 10m air rifle pairs at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. She says her part-time government job gave her the time and financial stability to train for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
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Originally published on Wed July 18, 2012 7:18 pm

For athletes anywhere, just qualifying for the Olympics can be a full-time job. But in India, training full-time is a luxury few can afford. That means many athletes work part-time government jobs. And for some, it can result in a job for life.

In return for putting in an appearance at the office, athletes like shooter Suma Shirur get a monthly salary and time to train.

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