Lakra scripts powerful comeback story

The 24-year-old defender from Sundargarh makes his return to senior hockey national camp

- 

For Pratap Lakra, the path to the Indian senior men’s hockey camp has been anything but linear.

The 24-year-old defender from Sundargarh, Odisha - a district known for producing hockey stalwarts - has scripted a powerful comeback story after his career derailed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lakra is only one of the two new faces in the ongoing senior national camp, which is a testament to his grit and resurgence. The call-up follows a standout performance at the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2025, where he played a key role in taking Madhya Pradesh to a Silver-medal finish.

“It was not easy to come back after the lockdown,” Lakra reflects. “I lost fitness and momentum. For a while, it felt like everything I'd worked for was slipping away. But I didn’t give up - I kept training, kept showing up.”