Bhubaneswar/Berhampur, June 2: Weightlifter K. Ravi Kumar can now pursue his career without any worries. The government today appointed the Commonwealth Games record holder as a deputy superintendent of police.

Kumar became the first sportsperson from the state to have been enrolled in a Group A job of the government.

"I had to look after my family and simultaneously keep up my sport performance. Juggling both meant a lot of pressure with the meagre amount that I was earning. Now, I can concentrate completely on my sport," said Kumar, who is also an Arjuna Award recipient.

The appointment of Dutee Chand as assistant manager (Group B) in Odisha Mining Corporation and Srabani Nanda as junior manager (Group B) in Odisha Hydro Power Corporation last month had raised his hopes.

Twenty-eight-year-old Kumar had won three gold medals in the 2009 Commonwealth Games at Penang in Malaysia. In 2015, the government appointed 49 sportspersons in the state police. In 2010, Kumar had created a record in the Commonwealth Games with a total lift of 321kg.

Kumar had joined the Indian Army as a havildar in 2008 and was promoted to the post of naik subedar in 2010. In 2013, he became a subedar. But, he quit the job in March last year to pursue his passion of weightlifting staying at home in Odisha.

Ever since, he was frantically waiting for a post in the state government's ranks.

Kumar plans to groom a weightlifting team of the Odisha Police. "I want to establish the academy and build a state weightlifting team that would take part in various national and international events. I want to provide free training to budding police officers," he added.

He is all set to join the Indian team this September to prepare for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the Olympics in the next two years.

"I have put in a lot of efforts in the last three years for the events. I want to put in my best in the next threes year as well and retire thereafter. Once you turn 30, the body does not permit any longer to continue with the sport," said Kumar.

The state government has adopted a rule this year for direct recruitment of outstanding sportspersons in executive capacities in various government undertakings.

In 2015, the government had appointed 49 sportspersons in the state police.