Lalit Kumar Upadhyay is raring to go as the Indian field hockey player’s bags as packed for his second stint at the Olympic Games, which is being held in Paris this year. The Arjuna awardee, who is also the Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Uttar Pradesh, tells us, “Tayari poori hai aur bharpur pyaar le kar jaa raha hoon. It’s still unbelievable.”
“When we won bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, we earned a lot of admiration from the world and our country. It has motivated us to win big this time around,” elaborates the 30-year-old, who plays as the forward for the India men’s national field hockey team.
Hailing from Varanasi, Upadhyay was instrumental for winning gold at the 2022 Asian games in China. He also secured medals at the Commonwealth Games and the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup. “Medal jeetna asaan nahi hai. And once you win a game, the team has to sustain that level of effort. With hockey being our national game, the entire Indian team will keep putting our best foot forward to bring a gold for India,” says the field hockey player, who has a lot to celebrate as he tied the knot with hockey player Diksha Tiwari in April this year.
However, things didn’t come his way easily, which makes him appreciate his present all the more. “Jis jagah se humlog aate hai, waha par khiladiyon ke bahut financial issues hote hain. Isiliye khel ko passion ki tarah kam aur rozgaar ki tarah liya jaata hai. It is not easy to create a path for yourself and find your calling and we can’t afford to lose even a single chance that comes our way,” he says.
Before he heads to Paris, France, the team will play a few practice matches in Holland. “This will be the second time I will be playing at one of the biggest sports platforms in the world. Only a lucky few get the opportunity of a lifetime to represent their nation at the world stage,” Upadhyay ends.
When history repeats itself…
Upadhayay was always motivated to be a field hockey player. Sharing what prompted his passion, he says, “In 1980 during the in Moscow Olympics, India won a gold medal in hockey. Mohammed Shahid, from Varanasi was a part of the squad. It took 41 years for history to repeat itself, when we won an Olympic medal, brought by another Varanasi boy. I feel fortunate to take forward this legacy left by a legend.”
For the youth of the nation
As the nation waits for another winning performance from us, I request parents to encourage their kids to play sports, like hockey. We need a new generation of players from India to take our legacy forward. To the youth I say, jam ke khelo, jee jaan se khelo.