Chirmako, Lakra credit India seniors for their success
In about three weeks' time, people all over the world will have their eyes glued to football World Cup to be held in Qatar. It will be no different in India also where millions of people will be rooting for their favourite teams. Be it Argentina, Brazil, France or Germany, there won't be any shortage of fan following.
Sudeep Chirmako, one of the three players from Odisha who played a vital role in helping the Indian men's junior team win Sultan of Johor Cup after beating Australia in the final, is also one of those who will be following the tournament ardently.
A big fan of Neymar and Brazil, Chirmako can't wait to see his favourite player lift the coveted trophy next month. But last Saturday, it was Chirmako himself who lifted a trophy after India beat Australia 5-4 via shootouts to win Sultan of Johor Cup for the third time.
For Chirmako this was something that he has been hoping to achieve for a very long time. He tasted disappointment in Junior Hockey World Cup last year and was also part of the team that finished second in the 2018 Youth Olympics. But the youngster was eager to show everyone what he is capable of.
For that he left no stone unturned.
"During the junior World Cup there were a lot of areas that I wasn't good at. So, after the tournament, I worked a lot on my finishing and defending. Another area was how to play in a structure," said the forward, who scored three goals in Malaysia including the opener in the final.
Not only the coaches, but the members of the Indian senior team also played a vital role in his growth as a player. "We get to learn a lot when we are playing against the senior team. They are always there to help us. They are open and friendly and are available to talk," said Sudeep, for whom Lalit Upadhyay is the go-to man.
Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Singh also gave lots of tips to Amandeep Lakra, a dragflicker and another player from Odisha alongside Cyril Lugun, who was part of the title-winning squad .
"He (Harmanpreet) told me the areas to aim at while taking the penalty corners. Also, what I need to do with my second shot if my first shot gets blocked by the first rusher," said Amandeep, whose father was a hockey coach at Panposh Sports Hostel in Rourkela and has been recently shifted to Sundergarh Hockey Academy.
Making his debut for the junior team, Lakra was more than overjoyed to have beaten Australia in the final. "When we played Australia in the group stage, we wanted to beat them and avenge the senior team's defeat against Australia in the final of Commonwealth Games. We wanted to show that even we can do well but sadly it finished in a draw," said Lakra during a telephonic interaction.
"However, in the final we got another chance and we played with the same spirit and intensity and eventually beat them."
The team badly wanted to win the title and it was quite evident from the way the players celebrated their victory. Hopefully they can now take confidence from this performance and carry it forward to next year when the junior World Cup will be held in Malaysia.
