Anand Mahindra’s generous gesture: Offers car to daily wage labourer who won medal at Asian Games 2023
Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of the Mahindra Group, has pledged his support and a car of his choice to Ram Baboo, the medalist in the Asian Games. Despite facing a challenging journey, Ram Baboo secured a bronze medal in the Asian Games’ 35 km race-walking competition. Mahindra expressed his admiration for Baboo’s remarkable progression from being a daily wage laborer under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to becoming an Asian Games bronze medalist.
Ram Baboo, who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district, is the only son of a manual laborer and a homemaker, with three sisters. The family struggled with a meager monthly income of Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500, making it difficult to make ends meet. In pursuit of his passion for athletics, Baboo took on various odd jobs and worked as a waiter to fund his athletic training. He also continued to work as an MGNREGA laborer during the pandemic.
Reflecting on his journey, the 24-year-old medalist shared, “I have done everything possible in my life so far, from working as a waiter in Varanasi to digging up pits alongside my father for road construction under the MGNREGA scheme in our village.” He went on to explain how he had to work part-time to afford his diet and supplements and expressed his disappointment about working as a waiter, citing the lack of respect he encountered.
Ram Baboo’s inspiring rise from humble beginnings to the Asian Games podium has earned him widespread recognition and praise. Business magnate Anand Mahindra’s gesture of gifting him a car underscores his appreciation for Baboo’s indomitable courage and determination.
