Pankaj Kumar Rajak of Hazaribagh became first player of the district who has been selected as goal keeper in Under-21 National Junior Hockey team. He will be the member of the team, who will play the competition in Holland from 18 to July 26.Coach Koleshwar Gope confided that Pankaj belongs to a very poor family and his father Dadan Prasad Rajak is washer man. Pankaj’s family lives in Patratumohalla of Hazaribagh town.
Gope informed, pankaj has represented Jharkhand in many National hockey competitions. Pankaj has received training in the boarding school of Hazaribagh and SAI center of Ranchi. From SAI center Ranchi he was selected for training in SAIl Academy at Raurkela, added Gope. The lad from Hazaribagh will leave for Holland with the contingent of junior national hockey team from Delhi airport on July 11.
Pankaj was captain of Jharkhand hockey team to Junior National competition in 2014. He was also the member of the Jharkhand who won the Gold Medal in 2012 in national school meet and has played important role in sub junior national competition, which was held in Bhopal where Jharkhand had won silver medal.Member of Parliament and MoS for Finance, JayantSinha congratulated Pankaj and his family. Sinha expressed that Pankaj will prove his ability on foreign soil.