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Lucknow: Rejection in the beginning, sleepless nights without food and even allegations of bribery in selection and now back-to-back bronze medals in hockey at the Olympics sum up the struggle as well as the courage to fight against all odds for ace striker Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.
“In fact, my mother told me to fight against all odds and prove a point to this world when I was framed in a fake bribery case and I had not listened to her. I could have committed suicide as pressure was almost unbearable and I was nowhere in my life,” said Lalit on Monday, on reaching hometown Varanasi after claiming his second Olympics medal in Paris.
Lalit and Rajkumar Pal, his junior at the Meghbaran Hockey Academy in Ghazipur, were instrumental in India’s 4-2 shootout win over Great Britain after a 1-1 draw in regulation time in the Olympics quarter-final.
“Dekha bhai, yehi mauka ba hero bananey ka. Yahi mauka hamay zero aur hero nabai to ab miss nahi karna hai” (See brother, it’s a chance to become hero. Only this chance will make us hero or zero, so don’t miss,” was the conversation between two in their local dialect of Varanasi as they awaited their turn to take the shot.
“I didn’t miss the target, and I could see the sparkle in the eyes of Rajkumar, who was next. It was a different celebration for us as Rajkumar’s goal was decisive,” said Lalit.
Lalit said it has been a roller coaster ride in hockey, especially after being framed in a bribery case following a TV sting.
Lalit, who was first asked to do goalkeeping for Varanasi in a sub-junior event in Lucknow as a 13-year-old, was rejected at the trials for the state-run sports hostel in Varanasi. After that, he chose not to join a hostel.
“It was very disappointing as even after putting up a fine show, I was rejected for the sports hostel,” he recalled.
However, he was desperate to join the SAI’s scheme as the ₹500 stipend would help his family to meet ends. “That money was a big help as we bought a sewing machine for my mother who earned a living by stitching,” said Lalit.
Lalit, 30, was appointed deputy superintendent of police with Uttar Pradesh Police after the Tokyo Olympics bronze. He said the team did a lot of hard work before the Paris Games.
“We never lost focus even at training and our mission to win a medal was there from before the first game. We took one game at a time. The FIH Pro League and our training keeping in mind top teams like Australia, Germany and Belgium helped us make a podium finish.”