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Defender Amandeep Lakra is excited about earning a place to represent the country at the upcoming FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup to be held in Malaysia next month. India will start their campaign against Korea in the Pool C game on December 5.
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Sharing his enthusiasm for the Hockey Men's Junior World Cup event, Amandeep Lakra talked about his journey as a young player and being inspired by former India captain Dr Dilip Tirkey, President of Hockey India.
"As an aspiring player, I had the opportunity to meet the legendary Dilip Tirkey, who told me that he used to work out for four hours a day. He also advised us to be hardworking and focused in our efforts to become good players. His words inspired me, and I began making similar efforts. I started out at Panposh Sports Academy, but after my father was transferred, I had to stop playing."
Amandeep Lakra
Amandeep also said that he is impressed by the drag-flicking abilities of current Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh. "Watching him train closely here in SAI Bengaluru, I get to learn a lot from him and his on-field focus and style."
Talking about his initial challenges as a budding player, Amandeep Lakra said, "I faced a little bit of difficulty finding places to train, so I started training on grass with my father," he said of his early challenges as a budding player, before adding, "Then I received a call informing me that I had been invited to join the SAI Centre in Bhopal as part of the Khelo India scheme in 2020. Later, I returned to play in Nationals for Odisha and was chosen for the National Camp based on my performance."
Amandeep Lakra played Sub Junior Nationals in Delhi in 2015 and Manipur in 2016 and made his Junior National debut for Hockey Association of Odisha at the 11th Hockey India Junior Men's National Championship in Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu in 2021. Where he helped his team to win.
Amandeep Lakra also got a call for the junior men's national camp in 2021 and made his debut for the Indian junior men's hockey team in the 2022 Sultan of Johor Cup. Where he helped India win the gold medal. The youngster from Odisha never looked back as he represented India at the Men's Junior Asia Cup earlier this year and helped India win a historic gold medal.
As they prepare to participate in the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lakra also talked about the team's preparations and the mood of the team. He said, "We have had a fantastic preparatory camp. We identified chinks in our armour and worked on them to cover all aspects of our game. Each and every one of us has worked extremely hard and there's great camaraderie in the camp. I will give this tournament my all and hopefully contribute significantly to winning the Men's Junior World Cup."
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