THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
ROURKELA,
JULY 21, 2026
In a proud moment for
Odisha and Indian hockey, SAIL Hockey Academy alumnus Shilanand Lakra has been
selected in the Indian Men's Hockey Team for the upcoming FIH Men's Hockey
World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in Belgium and the Netherlands. His
inclusion in the national squad marks another significant milestone for the
SAIL Hockey Academy at SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), while reaffirming the
academy's reputation as a cradle of world-class hockey talent.
A dynamic forward
celebrated for his blistering pace, agility and clinical finishing, Shilanand
has emerged as one of India's dependable attacking players. Since making his
senior international debut at the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2018, he has
represented the country in several prestigious tournaments, consistently
delivering impressive performances. Most recently, he played a pivotal role in
India's triumphant campaign at the Men's Asia Cup Hockey Championship, where
his outstanding display in the semifinal earned him the coveted Man of the
Match award.
Hailing from Kalijapathar village in Odisha's Sundargarh district, Shilanand is the son of Mr. Carlus Lakra and Mrs. Mary Grace Lakra. His hockey journey gained momentum when he joined the SAIL Hockey Academy in August 2015, where he remained a cadet until 2019. During these formative years, his talent was meticulously nurtured under the expert guidance of veteran coaches Raju Kant Saini, an NIS (National Institute of Sports) coach, and Peter Tirkey, former India Junior Hockey player, at the RSP Hockey Academy.
Shilanand's selection for the sport's biggest global spectacle stands as a shining testament to the SAIL Hockey Academy's excellence in identifying, grooming and producing elite hockey players capable of excelling on the international stage. The achievement also underscores the Rourkela Steel Plant's enduring commitment to the promotion and development of hockey, further strengthening the steel city's legacy as one of India's premier nurseries of sporting excellence.
