Rowing coach Jose Jacob gets a huge welcome at Cuttack railway station after he returned with the prestigious Dronacharya Award on August 31. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Sept. 3: Another jolt is set to hit Odisha’s rowing fraternity — after losing seven rowers in the recent past, the state is on the verge of losing Pratima Puhan.

The rowing champion has decided to represent Chandigarh. Last year, Pratima got a constable’s job with the CRPF. Later, she decided to be a member of the Chandigarh team from 2016.

“Pratima is an asset for Odisha, and it is an absolute pity that she will abandon Odisha and move to Chandigarh,” said rowing coach Jose Jacob, who recently won the prestigious Dronacharya Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of water sports.

“Top-class rowers from Odisha are leaving the state for sheer lack of job opportunities,” said the rowing coach, who has been at the helm since the past 14 years.

Pratima has won nearly 40 medals, including 23 gold, in various national championships and four international medals that include one gold and three bronze ones. She is the first Indian woman to win a medal in rowing at the Asian Games held at Guangzhou in China in 2010.

“Due to dearth of job opportunities, I have decided to play for Chandigarh. I would represent Odisha for the last time in the National Games next year,” said Pratima.

Pratima, however, affirmed that her mentor Jacob was largely instrumental behind her success and said she would again come back and play for Odisha if the state government provided her with a suitable job.

“I do not want to compete with players from my home state and if I am offered a decent job, I will definitely change my mind,” Pratima said.

The rowers from Odisha have brought many laurels under Jacob’s guidance. He has produced 20 star players from the state, who have won national and international medals.

The state has won 244 medals, including 123 gold, 68 silver and 53 bronze medals in various national championships and 20 international medals. But, it has miserably failed to recognise the rowers. The fact that Jacob is still on a contract with the Sports Authority of India since 2000, is by itself a sad reflection of the sorry plight of these rowers. The treatment meted out to Jacob has irked many in his home state of Kerala as well as Odisha.

Pratima was awarded Rs 1 lakh by the state government on August 29 when she received the Biju Patnaik Award for outstanding achievement in promotion of sports for 2010.