Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday appointed Olympic Bronze medalist hockey player, Birendra Lakra ,as Deputy Superintendent of Police
The ace defender, who played starring roles in the Indian hockey team’s historic win in Tokyo Olympics, had announced his retirement from international hockey in September last year.
A vital cog in the Indian Hockey team’s defence, he tasted significant victories, appearing 156 times since his debut in the series against South Africa in 2012.
Lakra was one of the vice-captains of the India squad, which won bronze in Tokyo after a gap of 41 years. The Odisha government had presented a cash reward of Rs 2.5 crore each to Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas in August 2021, for the fete.
The 31-year-old was also a part of the 2014 gold medal-winning Incheon Asian Games team and the side that claimed a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a bronze medal in the World League Final of 2015 and bronze in 2018 Jakarta.
