Rourkela, Sept. 28: Two hockey players from here have made Odisha proud by finding a place in the national squad. They will participate in the upcoming prestigious Sultan Johar Cup Hockey tournament to be held at Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

Both Anand Lakra and Subodh Tirkey are products of Sail Hockey Academy. Another player from the state, Janma Majhi, also made it to the squad but had to be dropped since he had some errors in his passport.

Six nations will battle it out at the under-21 tournament that begins on October 12.

Peter Tirkey, who has extensively coached all the three players, said he was confident that all of them would represent the national team. “I am elated since the determination and drive of the boys have finally paid. Sadly, there were some errors in the matriculation certificate of Majhi, which led to discrepancies in his passport. Anyway, he is a young player and he will have ample chances in the future,” said Peter, who is assisted by R. K. Saini, another coach, in grooming the players.

The three probables from the academy had taken part in the second round of the national selection camp organised by Hockey India in New Delhi from July 23 to August 18.

The Sail Hockey Academy, managed by Rourkela Steel Plant, has played a pivotal role in identifying talents and honing their skills. Birendra Lakra, another world class all-rounder is a product of the academy and has represented the country at various competitions such as the London Olympics and Commonwealth Games. At present, he is in the national squad that is playing in Asian Games in Incheon.