Indian Hockey star Birendra Lakra vows to get selected for Olympics squad

The 31-year-old defender is looking to make a mark in the quadrennial event, after missing out in 2016 due to a knee injury.

Defender Birendra Lakra expressed that he is adamant to make it to the Indian hockey squad for the Tokyo Olympics. Lakra, who has 196 international caps, missed out on the Rio Olympics due to a knee injury. Therefore he is very keen on making it to the final team list for the Tokyo Olympics.

"It was really hard time for me in 2016 ", says Lakra. After my recovery, my sole goal was to stay fit and absolutely ready for the Tokyo Olympics. I have worked very hard on my game in the last five years. . I am ensuring that giving my 100 percent in every training session," said the 31-year-old.

Birendra Lakra added that the Indian team's bench strength is fantastic. As a result, no player can take his place for granted in the side.

"Even though I am one of the most experienced players, my place in the team is not certain. There is a lot of competition for each of the positions and that is what keeps all of us on our toes. Everyone is determined to play and perform for India and therefore all of us make sure that we give everything we have during every practice session. Apart from skill development, we also make sure that we are giving enough attention to our fitness regimes as well," said Lakra.

Birendra Lakra said that the team has gained a lot of confidence after the successful tour of Argentina in April.

"The tour of Argentina has given us a lot of confidence in our abilities. We played very well as a unit, and we took away a lot of positives from that tour. We noted down a few things that we need to work on post the tour. Currently, we working on each of them at SAI. By the time the Olympics start, we will be prepared to play at our best," concluded Birendra Lakra.

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