Roshni Verma finds new goal: From a domestic help to footballer for CISF

Deoli: Tears rolled down the cheeks of Roshni Verma when she spotted her elder brother Ashok watching the 19-year-old’s passing out parade from the stands here at the CISF’s regional training centre.

The emotions inside her were stirred not merely by the sight of a loving sibling, but also by the realisation that the days of struggles are finally over for her and the family.

Roshni, two-time national level footballer for Jharkhand, was working as a domestic help in her state when some local acquaintances told her about a vacancy in the CISF for sportspersons.

She saw a chance to shift her life’s goalpost to rosier realms, and the third year BA student applied for the job last year.

“I have represented Jharkhand twice in national football tournaments. Growing up in Patragonda village of Kanke in Ranchi, my family had no means to fund my sporting dreams or even education,” Roshni told PTI.

“There is no one in my family of six people (including parents) who has a job in the organised sector,” she added.

Roshni then detailed the hardships she had to face to help her parents run the house.

“My parents have no source of income. My three brothers are studying and they help run the house through some irregular little money they get by doing daily-wage jobs.

“Some local 'didis' (elder sister) told me about this CISF vacancy last year and I applied with the hope that this will change my life.” Indeed, it is done now! Roshni was delighted to see Ashok at the ceremony as her elder brother reached the Deoli CISF centre after a long train journey from Ranchi via Delhi and Kota.

“Our parents could not come. They are not well...also we could not get confirmed tickets. So, only I could make it for the passing out event of Roshni,” said Ashok as he proudly looked at the head constable rank symbol on Roshni's uniform.

Now, they are off to Ranchi to be on the side of their ailing mother.

Roshni might have been only one among the 324 sports quota personnel who gave salute to Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya here.

It was also the largest-ever batch of sportspersons to be recruited at one go in the 56 years history of the central paramilitary force.

However, Roshni’s story echoes with the tales of a number of such trainees who were recruited by the force with an aim to secure more medals for the country in national and international tournaments.

CISF director general (DG) Praveer Ranjan said the force will “ensure these sportspersons get to play and perform.” Ranjan said the CISF has recruited the sportspersons in the head constable rank, a notch higher than the normal entry-rank of constable, to encourage more talented youngsters to apply.

The story for 22-year-old basketball player Vidhi (she goes by her first name) is slightly different from Roshni but her challenges seem to be similar.

“I hail from Panipat in Haryana. I was looking for better opportunities to enhance my game but I could not get anything substantial.

“That is when I saw this vacancy in CISF and applied for it as after all it was for sportspersons like us,” Vidhi, whose sister is a scientific officer with the BARC in Mumbai, said.

The new batch will soon be inducted into various CISF units across the country and subsequently will be divided into various sports teams which will play national and international tournaments.