Rourkela: Shilanand Lakra, a cadet of SAIL Hockey Academy, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), has made it to the men's Under-23 India Hockey team for the upcoming six-nation tournament in Belgium.
Expressing his happiness, RSP CEO Ashwini Kumar said: "He has made the academy as well as RSP proud. This shows that our programme is going in the right direction."
Academy chief coach Peter Tirky said Shilanand was known for his grit and dedication. "I have been coaching for so many years and rarely have I found such a dedicated and determined boyAnd this reflects in his achievements. He joined us in 2015 and today he is representing the country."
He said: "He is a striker of a rare breed and that makes him different. Most of the tribal boys that get selected play either in deep defence or in the middle, but he was always determined to become a striker. His strength is his speed, off-the-ball or on it and his stamina. At one moment, he will be playing near the opponents' D-box and the next moment he will fall back to defend. And has a strong sense and understanding of the game. He reads the opponent well and knows how to react accordingly. Besides, he also does a very accurate analysis of the game."
"He took training to become a priest for over a year but, then hockey beckoned and he came to us. However, because of that training, he is very polite when he speaks and has a good command over English," said Tirky.
"I have hardly seen anyone with such devotion towards the game. Hockey is his second religion" said Dibya Kujur, who plays in the senior state hockey team.
Shilanand made his debut in the senior team when he represented India in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia earlier this year. He scored his first goal against England to help India to a 1-1 draw.
"This selection shows that the selectors see him as a striker, and to become part of the team in the Under-23 level, which feeds the national team, is a good indication for him and the state," said his coach.
The tri-nation tournament in Belgium from July 14 to 21 will see India compete with Ireland, the Great Britain, the Netherlands, Canada and Belgium. Pankaj Kumar Rajak, an alumnus of SAIL Hockey Academy has got a place in the squad as well.
