National-level athlete sells fruit salad to fund training

Not one to become a burden to her mechanic father, two elder siblings, or mother who works in the Ema market - one of the largest markets run by women in the country; Diana decided to carve her own fate and fight this fight alone. So, instead of waiting for government support, she set up a roadside fruit salad stall and began her journey to gather the funds to keep her training going.

Evidently, Diana represents the true spirit of Manipur, which even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dubbed as the powerhouse of sports and Olympic prospects in India.

She, along with her elder sister, sets up her stall as early as five in the morning. Her day begins at 3 am. She is flanked by customers within minutes of setting up her wares in Kangla Pat in Imphal, where a fresh bowl of fruits sells for just Rs 20. The athlete makes a profit of around Rs 300 to 400 per day.

Once done with wearing a fruit seller’s hat, Diana devotes time to her athletic pursuits. All her earnings from the fruit stall goes into preparing for the upcoming international tournament.
International Taekwondo player Diana Ningombam from Manipur is fundraising, for her upcoming International Tournament, through selling fruit salads every morning from 4 am to 8 am. @Ra_THORe sir pls take necessary action pic.twitter.com/7WBOfVczWG

In the true spirit of a fighter, Diana believes “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. She has been learning Taekwondo for 13 years and has won accolades for the country both at the national and the international level.