🏑 Player Profile Name: Sunil Jojo Position: Defender Affiliations: Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) and Hockey Association of Odisha (HAO)

 

Here’s a comprehensive profile of Sunil Jojo, based on your provided details:

Background & Development

• Birth & Hometown: Born on 14 December 2002, Sunil hails from Gomardihi, Kutra, in Sundargarh district, Odisha (Odisha TV, Orisports).

• Training Base: He began training at the renowned Panposh Sports Hostel, Rourkela from 2014 onward, and progressed through Hockey Odisha’s age-group teams up to the senior level (Orisports).

---

Key Achievements

National Level (Odisha & Junior)

• Represented Hockey Odisha at sub-junior, junior, and senior national championships.

  • Gold in sub-junior Nationals (2018, Saifai) and Youth Games (2018, New Delhi)

  • Gold at the 9th Junior National Championship (2019, Aurangabad)

  • Bronze in 11th Junior Nationals (2021, Kovilpatti) (Orisports, The Statesman).

International Stage

• Represented India in two Junior Hockey World Cups, including the 2021 edition at Bhubaneswar.

• Played in the Sultan of Johor Cup (2023) earning a bronze medal, and participated in junior World Cup campaigns where India finished 4th both times (Sports Odisha, Hockey India).

• Part of the Odisha contingents at the World Cup and national junior events, alongside teammates like Sudeep Chirmako (inkl).

Recent Developments

• In May 2025, Sunil joined the Senior Men's National Coaching Camp in Bengaluru as a 22‑year‑old defender. He continues to train with seasoned players like Manpreet Singh and aims for national team selection in full senior competitions (Hockey India).

---

Player Traits & Ambitions

• Strengths: Excellent game awareness and defensive tackling.

• Goals: Focused on improving stamina and endurance to compete at higher levels.

• Mentorship & Inspiration: Inspired by veteran Manpreet Singh and values observatory learning through training alongside him (Hockey India).

• Aspirations: Aims to become a regular in India’s senior national team and win international medals for the country (Odisha TV).

---

Representation & Impact

• Employed by the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), which fields strong teams in inter‑department hockey tournaments, including winning the 2022 Senior Men Inter‑Department Championship (Wikipedia).

• Also representing Hockey Association of Odisha—an influential body within Hockey India with a strong history of producing India's top players such as Dilip Tirkey and Amit Rohidas (Wikipedia).

---

Summary

Sunil Jojo is a rising young defender from Odisha, nurtured at Rourkela’s famed hockey hostel system. With strong national-level credentials and international exposure at junior world events and the Sultan of Johor Cup, he’s currently making strides into India’s senior setup. Known for his tactical defense, he aims to evolve further and become a mainstay in India’s senior side.

---

Would you like a breakdown of his performance statistics, info about the RSPB structure, or insight into Odisha’s hockey talent pipeline?

"This Content Sponsored by Buymote Shopping app

BuyMote E-Shopping Application is One of the Online Shopping App

Now Available on Play Store & App Store (Buymote E-Shopping)

Click Below Link and Install Application: https://buymote.shop/links/0f5993744a9213079a6b53e8

Sponsor Content: #buymote #buymoteeshopping #buymoteonline #buymoteshopping #buymoteapplication"

Born 9 November 1999, in Beldihi village, Sundargarh district, Odisha—an area renowned for producing hockey talent. His family are farmers, and both his father and older sister Preeti played hockey, with Preeti representing Odisha at the national level (orisports.com). He began playing hockey barefoot around age 9, inspired by his family's passion and village culture (hockeyindia.org).

🛡️ Pratap Lakra: From Village Fields to National Glory

🌱 Humble Beginnings in Odisha

• In 2011, he joined Panposh Sports Hostel, coached by Bijay Kumar Lakra, where he trained under the guidance of stalwarts like Dilip Tirkey and Lazarus Barla (hockeyindia.org).

---

🏆 Climbing the Ranks: Juniors to Senior Nationals

• Became a key player in Odisha's Hockey Gangpur team, earning medals in Junior National Championships including a bronze (2018) and silver (2016) (orisports.com).

• Internationally represented India U‑21, winning silver at the Sultan of Johor Cup (2017, 2019) and participating in the 8 Nations Invitational in Spain (2019) (orisports.com).

---

🧗 A Comeback Story Amidst the Pandemic

• Post-2020, he lost his junior camp spot and struggled with fitness during COVID lockdowns. He persevered, training solo at Railway grounds despite uncertainty about his future (hockeyindia.org).

• Secured a job with South Central Railway in 2018 under sports quota, offering both stability and continued opportunities to compete (hockeyindia.org).

---

🥈 Shining at Senior Nationals & National Camp Call-Up

• In 2025, he represented Madhya Pradesh in the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship, helping the team secure silver—his standout performance earned him selection to the Senior National Camp, among just two new call-ups (hockeyindia.org).

• He credits this success to his discipline, defensive solidity, drag-flick skills, and relentless attitude under pressure (hockeyindia.org).

---

🎯 Playing Style & Inspirations

• A stalwart defender and drag-flick specialist, he draws inspiration from Indian hockey veterans:

  • Birendra Lakra – his role model for defensive mastery

  • Rupinder Pal Singh – his benchmark for drag-flick technique (hockeyindia.org, hindustantimes.com).

• Competed with the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League 2024–25 and starred for Indian Railways, scoring a hat-trick in the 2023 Murugappa Gold Cup final (thehindu.com).

---

🌟 Goals, Vision & Future

• Now training at the Senior National Camp, his immediate goal is to enhance fitness, refine skills, and secure a permanent spot in the Indian team (sakshipost.com).

• His long-term dream? To win Olympic gold for India, fueled by ongoing family support—especially from sister Preeti, who reminds him that camp selection is just the start (devdiscourse.com).

---

🧭 Why His Journey Matters

• Represents the resilience of athletes from rural India, overcoming early financial constraints and pandemic setbacks.

• Highlights the importance of supportive structures—sports hostels, railway employment, and state initiatives—in nurturing sporting talent (devdiscourse.com).

• Demonstrates how mentorship and adaptation (studying veterans, evolving play) can propel a young player to national prominence.

---

📝 In Summary

Pratap Lakra’s journey is a testament to determination, versatility, and national aspiration—from fields of Beldihi to the threshold of international hockey. As he continues to sharpen his craft in the National Camp, his story is an inspiration for many young defenders and drag-flickers across India.

---

Interested in a Tamil version, a highlight reel, or an infographic summary? I’d be glad to create it!

"This Content Sponsored by Buymote Shopping app

BuyMote E-Shopping Application is One of the Online Shopping App

Now Available on Play Store & App Store (Buymote E-Shopping)

Click Below Link and Install Application: https://buymote.shop/links/0f5993744a9213079a6b53e8

Sponsor Content: #buymote #buymoteeshopping #buymoteonline #buymoteshopping #buymoteapplication"