New Delhi: The Indian film ‘Chak de India’ has left indelible remark to shape the structure of the Indian hockey. Even in the current times when India attains any major success at the global stage, the title song ‘Chak de… O…Chak de India… is imperative in the revelling celebrations.
The Shahrukh Khan-starrer sowed the seeds of interests of hockey in the life of a boy from Maharashtra’s Vadale village in the Satara district. An eight-year-old Aditya Arjun Lalage decided to represent the Indian men’s hockey team after watching two-hour and 28 minutes film.
The youngster’s childhood dreams are about to happen when he will don the senior Indian shirt at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Thursday (October 24) as India aims to level the two-match bilateral series against Germany. Following the 2-0 loss to the World champions comprising a host of youngsters, Indian head coach Craig Fulton confirmed that Aditya will make his debut in the next game while speaking to ’s reporter Faiz Ahmed .
“It was a dream to play for the senior (India hockey) team since I saw that movie during my childhood,” Aditya had told reporters ahead of the Test series against Germany.
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Aditya considers Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh as his idol and forward Abhishek as someone whose goal-scoring abilities he wishes to emulate.
“I met him (Harmanpreet) for the first time when I was playing in my junior days. He congratulated me (after making to the national team) and asked me to play with a free mindset and give 100 per cent on the field,” said an ebullient Aditya.
“I like the way he (Abhishek) receives the ball and scores. I get to learn by watching him,” he added.
Just two years after being picked in the junior national ranks, Aditya has been part of the senior camps with Fulton eyeing to form a core group of players for his mission of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Aditya has started to maintain a diary in order to get equipped with the functioning and structure of the senior team besides watching videos to adapt with the nuances of the international stage.
Aditya’s journey to hockey after watching Chak de India
After getting inspired by the 2007 film Chak de India, Aditya embarked on the mission to fulfill his dreams. He moved to Pune to join the Krida Prabodhini (a residential sports school started by the Pune Municipal Corporation in 2008). It was this facility where the Phaltan-based Aditya learned the basics of the sport.
It was former Indian Olympian Ajit Lakra who spotted the raw talent in Aditya and groomed him under his watch. On the insistence of Ajit, the Maharashtra youngster endeavored the forward position right from his formative years of playing the game.
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Aditya has three siblings – one elder brother and two elder sisters – and most of the six-member family are working at their sugarcane farm in the Vadale village. No one from his family or distant relatives has been associated with sports before this, but they never objected to his choice of sports as a professional path and encouraged him for it.
The most testing days, according to his own admission, were the Covid-19 pandemic days when the playing facility in Pune was shut, putting the challenge of cooking food and doing the daily chores in their own space.
Aditya’s rise from junior to senior hockey team
Aditya was prolific goal-scorer for Maharashtra at the age group competitions. He turned out to be Maharashtra’s highest scorer during the 2022 Junior National Championship held in Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu. Though his team couldn’t make it to the knockout stage, Aditya’s efforts didn’t went in vain as he was roped in by the selectors for India’s junior national team in 2022.
After a year’s wait, the Satara-born player made his first appearance for the junior team in the Junior Asia Cup (India won gold in this tournament in Oman). He was also part of the junior team’s bronze medal campaign at the Sultan of Johor Cup and Junior World Cup (in Spain – December 2023), where he netted three goals. Just 10 months later, the 21-year-old forward has impressed Fulton to earn a spot in the national camp.
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“It is always important to play Test matches; it is the test of where you are. It will be good for us, we have Rajinder and Aditya—two debutants—and we also want to see some of the other players who have come back,” Fulton said ahead of the bilateral series.
“Aditya is an exciting talent who will be making his debut against Germany. It is a chance for him to showcase his talent,” the South Africa-based coach added.
Aditya strikes big deal in HIL auction
Aditya Lalage was sold to Delhi SG Pipers in the revamped Hockey India League auction for INR 20 lakh after the youngster set his base price for just INR 2 lakh. This translates how he has created a value for himself even before making his India debut.
“I was in the camp in Bengaluru and I was totally shock (to learn my price). My parents weren’t expecting this much amount, all they wanted was some team should pick me,” Aditya reacted to his surprising auction deal.
“It was a dream when we used to watch the Hockey India League (HIL) on TV,” he got a bit nostalgic.
Aditya will also be mentored by former Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh at the Delhi outfit after the latter was announced as the Team Director of the SG Pipers’ hockey entity.
“I have met him (PR Sreejesh) in Bengaluru a lot of times and to play under him is also a good feeling,” he said.
“I am also looking forward to play with Christopher Ruhr of Germany in the HIL. I will also play with Indian players such as Shamsher bhai (Shamsher Singh) and Varun (Varun Kumar). There are some junior players as well,” he added.
Aditya will put his foot on the Astro-turf at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium after more than eight years. He last played here in the Nehru Junior Hockey tournament (Boys U17) in the 2015-16 season. He was awarded player of the match twice in that tournament here itself.
