The selection of two former cadets of SAIL, Hockey Academy (SHA) of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in the India Junior Men’s Hockey Team for the upcoming Sultan Johor Cup-2025 has brought cheers to the Steel City and the state of Odisha. Anmol Ekka has been named in the 18 member India squad announced by Hockey India while another former cadet Thockchom Kingson Singh, has been named as a standby.
Anmol was trained at SHA from 2019 to 2022 while Thockchom was a cadet from 2017 to 2020. Both the young players were part of the Indian squad that clinched the Bronze medal in the previous edition of the Sultan Johor Cup in Malaysia and also represented the Gold medal-winning Indian team in the Junior Asia Cup held in Muscat, Oman in 2024.
Anmol Ekka, who has been named in the 18 member squad comes from Keshramal of Sundargarh district. Born to Mrs. Mamata Ekka and Mr. Tosil Ekka, Anmol inherited his passion for hockey from his father, himself a former cadet of SHA who represented in the Junior National Championship in 1998.
Both Anmol and Thockchom honed their skills at the Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium of RSP under the guidance of acclaimed coaches Mr. Raju Kant Saini and Mr. Peter Tirkey.
