India's aggressive midfielder Rajkumar Pal, who has almost said goodbye to hockey after his father's death nine years ago, has said that he is working hard to make it to the Indian team going to the Olympics. The 21-year-old from Uttar Pradesh Karnapur (Ghazipur) performed brilliantly against world champion Belgium in the Bhubaneswar FIH Hockey Pro League in February. He said, "I joined Sai Sports Hostel in 2010 but father died in 2011. I had to leave the game because my mother was alone. My brother was also away from home. I almost gave up hockey due to the pain of losing my father and family problems. At the behest of my mother, I again went to Sai Sports Hostel in 2012. Now my goal is to give 100% to the team and make it to the Olympic team. Playing the first match against a world champion team like Belgium was a big moment for me. I wanted to live up to expectations."
I wish my father could see me playing for the country: He says that my desire was that my father could see me playing for the country because he was the only player to play hockey. His encouraging words are still my strength today.
Looking at the brothers, the stick: Where Paul has inherited hockey. His two elder brothers play hockey for Jokhan Pal (Army) and Raju Pal (Southern Railway). Seeing these two playing hockey, they held the stick. He said that my focus is to live up to the role that Ustad Reed has given me.
