New Delhi [India], April 26 (ANI): Hailing from a small city named Rajnandgaon in Basantpur, Chhattisgarh, Om Kumar Yadav grew to become the one participant from his state to be chosen for Hockey India’s ongoing U-18 National Coaching Camp at SAI Bhopal.
The ahead earned his place within the camp after impressing together with his performances on the sixteenth Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2026 – Division ‘B’ in Rajgir, Bihar, earlier this month, scoring six objectives within the match, in response to a launch.
Inspired by his elder brothers, Rinku Yadav and Arjun Yadav, who at present practice at Lucknow Hockey NCOE, the teenager first picked up a hockey stick on the age of six and has by no means regarded again since. Sharing his preliminary experiences with the game, Yadav mentioned, ‘My eldest brother – Rinku Yadav – used to play hockey. I began taking part in after seeing him. I’ve at all times liked watching hockey; it is the one sport that I comply with. My journey started once I was six years previous, and I’ve been taking part in the sport ever since.’
Yadav grew up idolising the captain of the Men’s Indian Hockey crew and two-time Olympic Bronze medallist Harmanpreet Singh.
‘Harmanpreet Singh is my idol. The method he strikes on the hockey subject, the timing of his passes – he does not maintain maintain of the ball for too lengthy. He’s at all times bought a watch for purpose, whether or not it is from open play or the dragflick from set-pieces. Everything he does on the sphere conjures up me so much,’ Yadav talked about.
In the build-up to the sixteenth Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2026, Yadav skilled on the Khelo India Centre in Bilaspur, honing his expertise beneath the steering of former Olympian Ajit Lakra.
Determined to make the reduce for the U-18 National Coaching Camp, the younger ahead left no stone unturned in apply to make his mark within the match.
Now a part of the camp with Sardar Singh as his head coach, Yadav might be hoping to impress and cement his place within the 24-player squad for the U18 Asia Cup Kakamigahara 2026, which can happen in Japan from May 29 to June 6 and in addition play in opposition to Australia’s U-18 groups from May 11 to 21.
Sharing an perception into his expertise on the camp and dealing alongside the legendary Sardar Singh, Yadav said, ‘It has been 5 days since we’ve got joined the camp. Meeting Sardar Singh sir and interacting with him has been actually particular. So far, we’re specializing in fundamentals within the camp and in addition studying some new issues. He makes us perceive what we’re doing incorrect and helps me enhance my sport on a private degree. So, it has been an important studying expertise.’
Focused on his dream of representing India at some point, Yadav is constant to construct on his strengths – passing the ball and shifting ahead to create area – whereas studying new facets of the sport in Bhopal, as he hopes to cement his place within the U-18 Indian Men’s hockey facet as he seems to be to make his mark from a non-traditional hockey state. (ANI)