Bhubaneswar: The journey for Ajay Kumar Mandra of Mudulipada village from tribal-dominated Malkangiri district to England has been a roller coaster ride.

The student of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has won gold at the first international kho kho tournament held in London from September 1 to 4.

The Plus Two second year arts student admitted that the London bridge excited him the most during his trip.

"It was so huge and breathtaking. I also saw the Buckingham Palace which was a great experience as well," said Ajay who has been playing kho kho for seven years now.

His father Buda Mandra and mother Chhanki Mandra are farmers. In a family of seven siblings, it has not been an easy affair for Ajay.

He said: "We belong to a very poor family so it was not easy for me to reach here. My family is very proud of me and have high hopes that I will give them a good life."

Ajay has taken part in a number of national-level tournaments, including 21st East Zone Senior National Kho-Kho Championship, 63rd National School Game 2017-18 and 49th and 50th Senior National Kho-Kho championship.

"The best part about being a sportsperson is that I get to explore a lot of places during my tournaments. I have visited a number of Indian states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. Someday, I will travel the world and win more medals for my state and country," he said.

"The sport is gradually gaining international recognition and players from our state will make it more popular. Our players train for more than six hours daily," said Kalandi Charan, kho kho coach at KISS.