New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) From being a hapless victim of a sting operation at the start of his career to becoming an Olympic medallist, Indian men’s hockey team striker Lalit Upadhyay has worked hard to rebuild his career and considers all the setbacks as blessings in disguise.

At the the age of 17 in 2008, Lalit’s fledging career came to a sudden halt when he was embroiled in an unnecessary scandal for no fault of his.

Posing as an agent, a reporter from a TV channel offered then Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) secretary K Jothikumaran a sponsorship deal only if a player of their choice was taken into the Indian team, and Lalit’s name was taken as a bait.

Lalit was unaware of such a ‘deal’ and shaken by the incident, he almost quit hockey.

“If this happens to any boy who is immature and has come into the team with big dreams, he would be shattered. We had only heard about India winning eight Olympic medals but had not seen it happen in front of us. It was a dream to play in the Olympics and win a medal,” Lalit told

Source: PTI News