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Champion in the making
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Ajitesh is a young gun in the making. Both his captain and his opponents agree
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Photo: Mohd Yousuf
IN THE WINGSAjitesh Rai has the technique and the temperment to make it into the big league.
Eighteen-year-old Ajitesh Rai is determined to prove himself on the big stage. Now in Hyderabad as one of the probables in the Junior World Cup hockey camp, Ajitesh had earlier played for the Hyderabad Sultans team, which had won the inaugural edition of the Premier Hockey League.
"I consider it a privilege to have played with Pakistanis like Sohail Abbas, Waseem Ahmed, Ahmed Alam and Indian captain, Dilip Tirkey. They encouraged me throughout the tournament," he recalls.
Ajitesh (who is now a B.A. first year student based in Delhi with the Air India Academy) is determined to follow the advice of Pakistan captain, Waseem Ahmed.
"When you hold the ball, you are the king. Forget about the rest. That was what Waseem told me, and it was a wonderful piece of advice. That is one of the reasons why I am now more comfortable in the forward line after starting off in the half-line," he explains.
Natural game
His captain, Dilip Tirkey also advised Ajitesh to play his natural game. The results would follow, Tirkey told the youngster who still feels,"that I am only a contender. By god's grace if I make it, then I will not be found wanting in commitment," he says.
After his experience of playing in the four-nation tournament in Pakistan, Ajitesh is preparing for his biggest assignment now. Incidentally, he has a special affinity for Hyderabad, as it was here he first played for the India developmental team against France before the Pakistani tour. "Right now things are moving in the right direction," says the youngster whose childhood hero is Dhanraj Pillay. Ajitesh took to the sport after watching his sister Aruna Rai play in Patna.
"I try to take my career phase by phase and event by event. I am thankful for the support I get from the senior pros. And I am aware of the huge responsibility on me. I won't let them down," he says.
The start has been near perfect for Ajitesh since he joined Air India Academy in 2002. That is what matters most for him as he begins the tough journey into the big league. Hyderabad Sultans coach, Narindrapal Singh says that this youngster can well be the player to watch out for. But Ajitesh will have to sustain the enthusiasm and the desired consistency in the coming months. The onus now is definitely on the young lad.
V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
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