Rashmita Patra at her betel shop in Aul market. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, June 30: An outstanding defender, who once stood like a wall frustrating rival team forwards, is today struggling to fend for herself.

The state seems to have forgotten Rashmita Patra, the 23-year-old former star of Odisha football team, now forced to sell betel to eke out a living.

Married to a traditional fisherman, Rashmita from Demala village in the district’s Aul block, won many a laurel for the state and the country during her playing days. She represented India under-16 at the Asian Football federation (AFC) women’s qualifying competition at Kuala Lumper, Malaysia in 2008. She again played for the country in senior FIFA AFC qualification round at Dhaka in 2011. The same year, she played in Bahrain where senior national women’s team won the series by 2-1. She was part of the state team that won the senior women’s football championship in Bhilai in 2010.

But, 2011 was the last time Rashmita played in a major tournament. That was the beginning of her slide, a case of a promising career being cut short. Out of favour and sidelined from the state and the national teams, her struggle began.

While Rashmita failed to find a job, her miseries compounded after she got married to a fisherman, who did not earn much. She was left with no option but to open a betel shop to make ends meet.

“Football gave men name and fame, but it could not fetch me a decent living. I started playing at the age of 12 under the guidance of my mentor and coach, Chitta Ranjan Patra. I sacrificed my childhood and also my education. But, once my performance dipped, I was dropped from the team and then my search for a job came to a naught. Last year, I got married. But since my husband’s income is not enough to take care of us, I had to open a betel shop,” said the former star, who feels a twinge every time she watches a football match on the TV.

“Watching soccer on TV, I feel dejected and disillusioned. I am a Messi fan. Football players elsewhere are taken care of well, but that is not the case in Odisha. That’s why, the state is lagging behind in the sport. People and sports administrators here have the habit of forgetting the heroes once they are past their prime,” she said.

“She was an asset, whom we could depend on. I am shocked to know of her present plight,” said her former teammate, Alochana Senapati, who, unlike rashmita, has been lucky to find a job with state police.

Kendrapara collector Pramod Kumar Dash said: “The sports and youth affairs wing is being directed to look into Rashmita’s case. The fact that she is not a matriculate might have hindered her job prospects.”