Kashi lad dribbles his way to success, bags berth in Tokyo Olympic squad

LUCKNOW: Indian men’s hockey team forward Lalit Upadhyay, who hails from Bhagatpur village in Varanasi, has made it to the 16-member men’s hockey squad announced for Tokyo Olympic on Friday.
Raring to prove his mettle, Lalit is among the 10 players who will represent India in the Olympics for the first time.
Starting his journey in hockey from UP College in Varanasi under coach Parmanand Mishra, Lalit went on to become a part of Indian hockey squad as a centre forward. He has played at least 200 matches so far, including 8-10 international championships this year. Lalit, who has represented India in two hockey world cup events, is currently practising in Bangalore.
While his father Satish Upadhyay and mother Rita Upadhyay stay in Bhagatpur, Lalit’s elder brother works in CAG office in Prayagraj. Lalit is currently working as an assistant manager with BPCL and is posted in Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar (Mughalsarai).
Expressing happiness over his son’s achievement, Lalit’s father Satish Upadhyay said: “I used to run a shop and later took up a small job in a private bank to support my family. I did not have enough resources to promote my son and provide him proper facilities. He has reached this stage by the dint of his hard work and perseverance. I wish him all the success.”
The news of Lalit’s selection brought cheers among players from Varanasi and across the state. They hoped that this ‘Kashi ka laal’ (son of Varanasi) would bring success to the country.
Director, sports, RP Singh also congratulated Lalit on his selection and hoped that the talented player for UP would make the country and Uttar Pradesh proud.