Double Delight’: Varanasi boy bags constable job as his hockey team registers win at Khelo India
Rahul took admission in Vivek Academy located in Varanasi and learned the fine points of the game from famous coach Gauri Shankar from 2010 to 2017.
LUCKNOW How often does life treats us with two pleasant occurrences on the same day? For Rahul Yadav, the hockey sensation from Varanasi, Saturday turned out to be a day of double delight. Not only did he score a goal and helped his team win the crucial game at Khelo India, the young fullback also got selected as a constable in Uttar Pradesh Police.
His team -- Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth -- defeated the Bengaluru City University side at the Major Dhyanchand Synthetic Hockey Stadium of Guru Gobind Singh Sports College on Saturday. Praising the organisation of Khelo India University Games-2022 Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said that the experience gained here will be useful in furthering his sports career. “Organising these games will further change the atmosphere of sports in the universities. Consequently, more good players will emerge on top in future.”
Pursuing his graduation from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi, Rahul was very happy that he was selected in U.P. Police under sports quota, and now he wants to fulfill his dream of making a place in the Indian team in future. “Whatever I am today, it’s because of my parents and teachers, who always stood like a rock behind me,” said Rahul, whose father Ashok Kumar Yadav is an advocate and his mother is a housewife. His father too used to play cricket, and it was his father’s dream that his child follows in his footsteps in sports.
Rahul, who considers top Indian player Harmanpreet Singh, as his idol, has represented the Uttar Pradesh hockey team in the Senior National Hockey Championship-2022 and has also exhibited his style of play at the All India Inter University Games-2022. He has also participated in Khelo India Youth Games-2018 held in Delhi.
His hometown Varanasi has given several big hockey players to the country -- including Padma Shri Mohd Shahid, Olympian Vivek Singh, Rahul Singh and recently Lalit Upadhyay, who was part of the bronze-winning Indian team at the Tokyo Olympics. Upadhyay has also been appointed as DFSP in UP Police.
Rahul took admission in Vivek Academy located in Varanasi and learned the fine points of the game from famous coach Gauri Shankar from 2010 to 2017. Thereafter, he was selected for the Lucknow Hockey Hostel and has now been honing his skills under the supervision of coach Rajneesh Mishra (former international hockey player) and Ranjit Raj.