FULL NAME: Birendra Lakra
GENDER: Male
BORN: February 3, 1990 (Source: Hockey India and International Hockey Federation)
HOME ADDRESS: Village: Lachhada, Block: Gurundia, District: Sundargarh; Odisha, India.
FAMILY: Father (Late Ignace Lakra), mother (Merry Lakra), wife (Rashmita Kerketta), one son ().
TYPE OF PLAYER: Mid-fielder
RECEIVED COACHING FROM: Peter Tirkey, Harman Lakra and Raju Kant Saini.
PROFESSION: Working DSP at Odisha Police. Earlier worked as Assistant Manager with Bharat Petroleum Company Limited
INDIA CAPS: 208 as on 1 June 2022
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:
NATIONAL:
* Helped SAIL Academy finish runners-up in the Under-21 National Hockey Championship in 2004.
* Scored four goals, including a hat-trick in the final to help SAIL Academy win the title in the Under-18 National Championship in 2007.
INTERNATIONAL:
* He was the captain of the Indian team that won the bronze medal in the 11th Mens Asia Cup Hockey Tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia on 1 June 2022.
* He was one of two vice-captains of the Indian men team that won bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympic Games at Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo on 5 August, 2021. Played 4 matches in the league stage against New Zealand, Australia, Spain and Japan.
* Played his 200th senior international match against Spain at the league stage of the Tokyo Olympic Games at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo on 27 July, 2021.
* He was part of the Indian men team that won the 4-match practice series 2-1 against Argentina, held in Cenard, Buenos Aires from 6-14 April, 2021.
* He was part of the Indian men team that won both of their FIH Pro League matches against against Argentina, held in Cenard, Buenos Aires on 11 and 12 April, 2021.
* He was part of the Indian men that booked ticket for 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beating Russia 11-3 on aggregate in the double-leg FIH Qualifiers, held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 1-2 Nov, 2019.
* He was part of the Indian men team that won all of their five matches (3 vs Belgium, 2 vs Spain) in Antwerp during their Belgium tour from 26 Sept-3 Oct, 2019.
* He was part of the Indian team that emerged champions in the FIH Mens Series Finals, held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar from 6-15 June 2019.
* He was part of the Indian team that claimed the silver medal in the 28th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament, held at Ipoh, Malaysia from 23-30 March, 2019.
* He was part of the Indian team that won the silver medal in the 37th Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy Tournament, held at Breda, Netherlands from June 23 to July 1, 2018.
* He was part of the Indian team that won the bronze medal in Men’s Hockey World League, held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar from Dec 1 to 10, 2017.
* He was a member of the Indian men’s team that finished fifth in the Six-Nation Invitational Hockey Tournament, held at Valencia in Spain from June 27 to July 4, 2016.
* He was a member of the Indian team that won the bronze medal in the Men Hockey World League Final, held at Raipur in Chhattisgarh from Nov 27 to Dec 6, 2015.
* He was part of the Indian team that won the 4-match Test series against New Zealand, held in New Zealand from Oct 3 to 11, 2015.
* He was a member of Indian team that finished fifth in the World Hockey League Semifinals, held at Antwerp (Belgium) from June 20 to July 5, 2015.
* Played his 100th International match in the first of the four-match test series against Japan at Kalinga Stadium Hockey Complex on May 3, 2015.
* He was a member of Indian team that won the bronze medal in the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament, held at Ipoh, Malaysia from April 5 to 12, 2015.
* He was a member of Indian team that won the four-match series 3-1 against Australia at Perth on Nov 9, 2014.
* He was a member of the Indian men`s hockey team that beat Pakistan in the final to win the gold medal in the 17th Asian Games at Incheon in South Korea on Oct 2, 2014.
* He was a member of the Indian men`s hockey team that won the silver medal in the 20th Commonwealth Games, held at Glasgow (Scotlant) from July 23 to August 3, 2014.
* Helped India win bronze medal in the 21st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament at Ipoh in Malaysia in June, 2012. He was adjudged man of the match in the crucial match against Pakistan, which India won 2-1.
* Scored the first goal in India’s comprehensive victory in the final game of the Olympic Hockey Qualifying Tournament against France in Delhi on February 28, 2012.
* Represented India in the Test series against South Africa in 2012.
* Represented India in the Champions Challenge Tournament in South Africa in 2011.
* Represented India senior team in the SAAF Games at Dhaka in 2010.
* Represented India in the Youth Olympics at Sydney in 2009.
* Represented India in the Junior World Cup at Singapore in 2009.
* Included in the Indian junior team for the first time for Singapore tour in 2007.
* Made his debut during the test series against South Africa in 2012.
OTHER NOTABLE DATA:
* He was one of three coaches of the Indian team that won the Silver medal at the 13th Sultan of Johor Cup Mens Junior International Hockey Tournament, held at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from 11-18 October 2025.
* Joined the Indian Junior Mens Hockey Team as Assistant Coach on 24 May 2025.
* In June 2022, he was accused of having a role in the murder of his childhood friend Anand Toppo. Anand was found dead inside the flat of Lakra in Bhubaneswar on 28 February 2022 and the father of the deceased, Bandhan Toppo, accused Odisha Police of shielding Lakra, who is a DSP.
* Came back from retirement in May 2022 and led India to bronze medal at the 11th Asia Cup Tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia.
* Odisha Sports Journalists Association felicitated him with the OSJA Annual Award as Sportsperson of the Year-2021 on its 7th Foundation Day Function in KIIT Campus, Bhubaneswar on 21 March 2022.
* Announced his retirement from International hockey on 30 September 2021.
* Received cash award of Rs 1 crore from Uttar Pradesh Government as member of the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winning Indian men hockey team at a felicitation ceremony in Lucknow on 19 August, 2021.
* Received cash award of Rs 10 lakh from Odisha Government as member of the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winning Indian men hockey team at a felicitation ceremony in Bhubaneswar on 17 August, 2021.
* On 15 August 2021, Indian Olympic Association felicitated him with a cash award of Rs 10 lakh for the bronze medal win in Tokyo Olympics.
* On 13 August 2021, Petroleum Sports Promotion Board honourd him with a cash award of Rs 15 lakh, a silver plaque and out-of-turn promotion in BPCL.
* On 11 August 2021, Odisha Olympic Association transferred to his account a cash award of Rs 1 lakh for helping Indian men hockey team win bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
* On 11 August 2021, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik felicitated him with cash award of Rs 2.5 crores and DSP job offer in Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
* Attained fatherhood with wife Rashmita Kerketta delivering a baby boy at Kalinga Hospital, Bhubaneswar on 25 Oct, 2017.
* Married Rashmita Kerketta of Jharkhand at Arnold Church in Jharsuguda on 9 January, 2017.
* At the time of marriage, Rashmita was working with Infosys as an assistant manager Bangalore, after completing her studies from the Institute of Company Secretary.
* Birendra Rashmita got married after being three years in a relationship.
* He was conferred with the Biju Patnaik Award for Outstanding Sportsperson of Year 2014 by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Jayadev Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on August 29, 2015.
* He was felicitated with the Dhruv Batra Award for Player of the Year 2014 (Men Category) and a purse of Rs 25 lakh by Hockey India in its annual award function at New Delhi on March 28, 2015.
* On December 4, 2014, he received the State Government cash award of Rs 28.75 lakh for winning gold medal at the Incheon Asian Games and silver medal at the the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. In total Rs 30 lakh was given to Lakra, who had earlier received Rs 1.25 lakh for the Commonwealth Games silver.
* Odisha Cricket Association on Oct 2, 2014 announced a cash award of Rs 50,000 for Birendra for helping India win the gold medal in the 17th Asian Games at Incheon.
* Lakra is a product of the Rourkela-based SAIL Hockey Academy.
* Joined the SAIL Hockey Academy in 2004 and spent seven years there.
* He was spotted by SAIL Hockey Academy coach Peter Tirkey during an inter-school tournament at Rourkela in 2003.
* His first big break came in 2010 when he became part of the senior India team for the SAF Games in Bangladesh.
* His father was an employee of Rourkela Steel Plant.
PROFILE FIRST UPLOADED: 3 March 2012
PROFILE LAST UPDATED: 20 October 2025