Kushalnagar: She was forced to give up her bright sporting career due to financial constraints and she had to support her family by taking up a data entry job. Now floods have wreaked havoc in her life and she has lost everything including her humble abode in Madikeri. This international-level throwball champion is now homeless. In a desperate appeal to the State Government, Tashma Muthappa is seeking help to rebuild her life.

Her house in Second Monnangeri at Madikeri was washed away in the rain that lashed northern parts of Kodagu district continuously from Aug. 15. Her house was built just one-and-a-half-years back and her family spent Rs. 25 lakh for the RCC-roofed house. All that remains of the house now is a side wall and its foundation with the rest of the rooms buried under scattered debris.

Her marriage had been fixed sometime back with Manjesh from Bettageri village near Madikeri, who is settled in Dubai since the last three years. The couple had got engaged and the wedding was fixed in December this year and accordingly, jewellery worth over Rs. 3.5 lakh was purchased for the wedding. All the jewellery and Rs. 50,000 cash has been washed away along with Tashma’s medals, trophies and certificates. The marriage has now been fixed to April next year.

Tashma began playing throwball at a very young age and has represented Kodagu District, Karnataka State and the country in many State, National and International-level throwball events. She has also been part of Karnataka team that has won four national throwball championship titles.

She scaled the heights of her sporting career in 2014 when she represented the State in events that were held at Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. At an International throwball event held at Sindhi College in Bengaluru, Tashma won the Gold Medal. Many times she was adjudged the Best Player.

As fate willed, her sporting career came to an abrupt end in 2016 when she was forced to take up a contract data entry job at Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, Madikeri. She had to support her father Muthappa and mother Girija who worked at a resort in Madikeri. She also had to look after her younger brother.

Everything was going smooth as Tashma was supplementing the family income after giving up her bright sporting career. Pooling in their hard-earned money and borrowing loans, the family members built a house in a half-acre plot at Second Monnangeri and Rs. 25 lakh was spent on the house.

The entire family, including Tashma’s brother, was working to clear off the loans. But unfortunately, her brother died tragically last year. Just as the family was trying to cope up with the death of its loved one, floods struck and their lives were shattered again.

PARENTS AT RELIEF CENTRE

As their house was washed away, Tashma and her family shifted to a relief centre at Cherambane and later, the family was accommodated at a Relief Centre at Madikeri Chamber of Commerce Building. She is at present staying at a friend’s place as he has to go to work while her parents continue to stay at the relief centre.

A graduate in Commerce from Alva’s College in Moodabidre, Tashma has always been a merit student in school and college days. Moreover, she has brought laurels for her country and State. Unfortunately, neither the country nor the State has given any due recognition to her achievements and now she literally stands amidst nowhere.

Now 23-years-old, she dreams of getting a stable government job to support her family. “I need to support my parents who have lost everything they had,” says an emotional Tashma. “Having brought honours to the State many times, I hope that the Karnataka government will consider helping me in this hour of crisis,” she says.