Goa: With no govt jobs in sight, cricketer turns idol-maker

PANAJI: He has won laurels for the state, collected certificates of merit and represented Goa eight times in tennis ball cricket. But, today, 30-year-old Chandan Dongrekar, when he is not on the field, is busy moulding clay into idols for a living.
“Maybe 20 times…” says Chandan on the attempts that he has made to get a government job. For several years, Chandan has been regularly applying to get a state government posting—his certificates of merits that he picked up on his cricketing journey attached to his resume.But unlike the cricket field, where he tasted success, he hasn’t been able to open his account.
Left with no choice, Chandan, along with his close friend Praveen Halankar, decided to try his hand at making idols last year.
“We now make idols of different shapes and sizes, right from half feet to three feet. I am also into making floats after the Ganesh season is over,” says Chandan.
In just one year of venturing into a new business, Chandan, a Tonca resident, has found it is more lucrative making idols than doing the rounds of the government offices. He has doubled his business.
If last year Chandan and Praveen sold 100 idols, this year the count has grown to 250. All his idols are made of clay and, as he points out, “environmental friendly”.
With the Ganesh festival commencing on Thursday, Chandan’s idols are fast-selling. He sold 80 of the 100 allotted at the Vasco handicraft, while 10 of 21 were picked from the Panaji handicraft. He has set up a shop at the Taleigao market where 49 of the 88 that he designated for sale have found their way into people’s homes. He’s happy with the business, but can’t overcome the hurt of missing out on some recognition.
“I applied for so many government jobs but always returned disappointed. Sportspersons serving the state deserve some respect. There should be a quota for government jobs. This way more people will come forward to take to sports and bring laurels to the state,” says Chandan, who was part of the team that won the all-important Federation Cup in 2013.
In adversity, lessons from the cricket field keep Chandan going
With tennis ball cricket not fetching enough returns as cricket does, Chandan has to fall back on his idol and float-making skills to make ends meet.
Chandan took to the sport in 2003 and was selected for the sub-junior nationals while schooling at Progress HS in the city. Since then, he has learnt a lot from his coach, Nilesh Naik, with the Federation Cup success the highlight of his career. He also has a runners-up medal from 2011.
Once he is done with making idols and floats, Chandan will be back on the Campal ground, doing what he is best at: Practicing full time for the national championship that will take place in December.
In the face of adversity, it is the sport and the lessons he learnt on the field that has kept Chandan going.
“The sport has taught me never to give up. I will continue to play. My love for tennis ball cricket doesn’t allow me to give up,” says Chandan.