This is an archive article published on February 26, 2025
Many Facets of the ‘Sports Quota’ job: ‘I returned from fighting for decimal points at CWG to a senior measuring formatting space on a routine form’
Before and after a briefly-flickering career, athletes get saddled with the pursuit of 'sports quota' jobs. Badminton coach Pullela Gopichand recently highlighted the many levels of plight suffered by athletes who commit to sport, prioritising it over education. Shivani Naik talks to those whose lives revolve around that sports quota job that might offer financial security, but not always dignity.
By Ashish Kumar (Asian Games and Commonwealth medallist in gymnastics)
I’m lucky I was a high-achieving international gymnast who landed a great job at North-Central Railway (NCR) at age 16, and promotions, increments and perks like 330 days’ leave for training, medal benefits, travel and medical care are available. The workload in my stores department at a ‘baby railway’ division like NCR is less and I’m grateful for the support of department heads.But life sure gets difficult. Just because things clicked for me doesn’t mean I ignore others less fortunate who don’t get leave to train. There’s a half-day special leave provision till you get your first national medal, so you work from 9.30 am to 1 pm, instead of 6 pm. Half-duty mein insaan thak jaata hai (one gets tired).
If someone is in Commercial or Engineering departments, the workload is great and aadhi himmat nikal jaati hai (half your energy is gone).Some ‘normal’ (non-sports quota) employees resent athletes getting jobs at a young age.
They even say, ‘hum ghis-ghis ke aaye hai, inko easy mein mil jaata sab kuchh. (We have to work hard and they get it easily)’ They don’t see our 5 am training and don’t consider our gym training as ‘hard work’.I had an Office Superintendent, who’s expired now. He was jealous of me, then a junior clerk. When he travelled on work, his TA/DA would be Rs 800+taxi, totalling Rs 2,000-3,000. We would go to national camps and get Rs 12,000-13,000. It’s such a small issue, but the difference made him miserable. He would point out random errors in spacing of words in form-filling and make me re-do them 5-6 times when I returned to office. I returned from fighting for decimal points for a Floor Exercise medal at the Commonwealth Games, and came to this person measuring formatting space between lines on a routine form, because “kaaydaa kaanoon”.
My two out-of-turn promotions after the Asiad bronze also brought fresh resentment. I was told to my face ‘itne promotions itnese insaan ko milne nahi chahiye. (So many promotions shouldn’t go to such a person)” And frankly, for the only Indian with CWG and Asiad medals, the promotions weren’t even commensurate. But it was taken for granted that success would ‘create disturbance’. I largely never suffered the worst from officers, who tended to be supportive.
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But hierarchies can be very sensitive in office set-ups for sports quota athletes, and you have to make an effort to keep the atmosphere “lively and pleasant”. Vyavahaar karna padega (have to be on friendly terms), wish ‘Sir’ everytime you cross.If I have to think from their point of view, if a particular department has only 15 people and they need 30, they can’t spare athletes. I have also been putting off exams for Assistant Materials Manager because I know I don’t have the knowledge and will be out of my depth. But athletes in big zones can get completely lost, and face humiliation if they aren’t the best in their sport.I got an earful for not having triple spacing in a letter, imagine! (Laughs).
Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball.
Professional Profile
Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express.
Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics.
Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium.
Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025)
Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond:
Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style.
PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps.
The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals.
Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas.
Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes.
Notable Recent Articles
BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025)
The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025)
Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025)
Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025)
Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025)
Other Sports Interests
Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts.
You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More
