The Telegraph: Shilanand in national hockey team

Rajesh Mohanty

Rourkela: A cadet of SAIL Hockey Academy, Rourkela, has been selected to represent India in the men’s senior hockey team.

Shilanand Lakra has been selected to be a part of the 18-member team for the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Tournament to be played in Ipoh, Malaysia, from March 3 to 10.

Shilanand plays in the forward line.

“Shilanand has a strong brain for the game,” his coach Peter Tirky said. “His basics are very strong and it shows in his performance.”

“He joined us in 2015 and in 2017, he got into the junior team and played for Sultan of Johor Cup held in Malaysia,” said Tirky. “From the beginning, he played as a forward because he is extremely fast with or without the ball. During practice, no one can compete with him in hundred metres sprint!”

Apart from India, the tournament will this time feature World No. 1 Australia, World No. 2 Argentina, England, Ireland and hosts Malaysia.

“Shilanand is extremely excited with his selection,” said Tirky, but added that the player will never show it.

Born to Carlus Lakra and Mary Grace Lakra, Shilanand is a native of Kalijapathar village in Sundargarh district. Before joining the academy, he was under training for one year to become a priest but hockey beckoned and he joined the SAIL Hockey Academy in August 2015.

The SAIL Hockey Academy, which was set up here in the year 1992 on 15 acres, has modern facilities. It has been producing quality players.

One of the mainstay of Indian deep defence, Birendra Lakra, who has been rested for the tournament, is a product of this academy.

Goalkeeper Pankaj Kumar Rajak, also from the academy, played in the senior team in the SAF Games.

In the last one year, the academy team has won many prestigious tournaments. The notable ones among them was the victory at Jhansi, where it won the Under-21 All India Gold Cup.