Indian hockey star Birendra Lakra makes his 150th national appearance

Indian star Birendra Lakra made his 150^th International appearance and 'Hockey India' congratulated the defender on his achievement. The Rourkela-born was out of action for a long period but he was selected for the Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in New Zealand which began on January 20. He attained the landmark against hosts New Zealand during the final leg of the round robin stage of the tournament. Lakra has been a pivotal figure in the Indian Men's Hockey team's success in recent times. He made his debut in 2012, during India's Test series against South Africa. In 2007, he got his first call for the junior national team which toured Singapore, since then, he was always in the limelight. The General Secretary of Hockey India, Mohammad Mushtaque Ahmad congratulated him by saying, "Completing 150 matches is a big feat and I congratulate Birendra Lakra for his efforts. He is a very composed and determined player who has been vital in the Indian team's defence over the last couple of years.' 'Despite testing times during his injury period, Lakra has remained resolute and has earnestly worked on his comeback. I wish him the very best for the Final in the Four Nations Tournament and also wish him success in this crucial year where India plays top tournaments,' he added. After being a part of the victorious Asian Champions Trophy in 2016, he featured in India's tour of Australia but then he was out of action for the most part of 2017. It was during the 2016 Hockey League Finals that he suffered an ACL (ligament) tear, and another issue with his quadriceps soon after. But his major setback was missing out form the Rio Olympics. Recently, he featured in the Hockey League Finals which was played in Bhubaneswar in December last year. A couple of months ago, when he was still in the struggling phase he admitted that he never lost hope on himself. But strived hard to improve his game each day and his family was a source of mental support during that time. "I knew comeback from injuries is always tough but I didn't lose hope even when I had back-to-back injuries. A lot of credit goes to my family, coaches, and teammates, who backed me," said the 2012 London Olympian. The 2014 Commonwealth Games Silver medallist hails from Lachchada, a village in Sundargarh district of Odisha. Birendra was a player in Rourkela Steel Plant's SAIL Hockey Team; it was during his stay over there that he caught the eye of the national selectors. Scoring the first goal in the final game of India's Olympic Qualifying tournament and his performance during the 2012 Champions Trophy are some his career highlights. During the inaugural edition of the Hockey India League in 2003, Lakra was roped in by the Ranchi Rhinos for an amount of USD 41,000. He was a part of the team for the first two seasons of the tournaments but then he shifted his loyalties towards Ranchi Rays after the former franchise was defunct. Source: Indian Express In an earlier interview with The Times of India, Birendra Lakra confessed that he thought the comeback would not be easy for him considering the competition around and also the quality of the upcoming players, but he made braved all difficulties to earn a berth in the National Team once again. "Before the team was announced, I gave myself 80-20 chance of making the squad because the level of competition within the team has gone up with the junior players coming in and also, I haven't played in an international competition for a year,' said Birendra Lakra. At the age of 27, the versatile defender is still trying hard to continue his work in the heart of India's defence. Though he has passed his prime, his experience will be more than helpful for the National squad ahead of major tournaments like the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.