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BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi heaped praises on Odisha‘s very own hockey star, Birendra Lakra, who recently expressed his desire to retire from the international format of the sport after having played 201 matches for the country.
In a recent letter to Lakra, which the hockey shared on his Facebook page on Saturday, the Prime Minister hailed Lakra as a key part of a vital decade for Indian hockey.
“You began playing hockey at a time when no Indian could imagine our nation would win an Olympics medal in near future. Hockey was not considered to be the most glamorous of sports. Yet, things changed so soon and the credit for such a positive transformation goes to players like you, who kept the faith and worked for the regeneration of Indian hockey,” Modi wrote in his letter.
Stating that the coming generation of athletes can learn the spirit of resilience from Lakra, the Prime Minister further wrote despite going through the pain of missing the bus to Rio Olympics in 2016 owing to injury, Lakra successfully overcame that and made it to Tokyo, thereby becoming a part of history that was scripted there.
The PM also hailed the Sundargarh boy for remaining humble despite scaling the heights of success and continuing the glorious tradition of Odisha producing outstanding hockey players. Despite Lakra’s decision to hang up his boots, Modi said Lakra will remain connected to hockey and encourage the coming crop of players.
Seeking his support to strengthen India’s Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister asked Lakra to visit various schools by August 2023 to spread awareness about malnutrition and to encourage sports.
In a recent letter to Lakra, which the hockey shared on his Facebook page on Saturday, the Prime Minister hailed Lakra as a key part of a vital decade for Indian hockey.
“You began playing hockey at a time when no Indian could imagine our nation would win an Olympics medal in near future. Hockey was not considered to be the most glamorous of sports. Yet, things changed so soon and the credit for such a positive transformation goes to players like you, who kept the faith and worked for the regeneration of Indian hockey,” Modi wrote in his letter.
Stating that the coming generation of athletes can learn the spirit of resilience from Lakra, the Prime Minister further wrote despite going through the pain of missing the bus to Rio Olympics in 2016 owing to injury, Lakra successfully overcame that and made it to Tokyo, thereby becoming a part of history that was scripted there.
The PM also hailed the Sundargarh boy for remaining humble despite scaling the heights of success and continuing the glorious tradition of Odisha producing outstanding hockey players. Despite Lakra’s decision to hang up his boots, Modi said Lakra will remain connected to hockey and encourage the coming crop of players.
Seeking his support to strengthen India’s Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister asked Lakra to visit various schools by August 2023 to spread awareness about malnutrition and to encourage sports.
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