I would like to tell you all about a young hero of my native country -- India -- who has excelled in field hockey. It gives me immense pleasure to write about the extremely talented Olympian V R Raghunath in this article. I have known him since my childhood days and have spent time with him. He has given a lot to Indian field hockey. He has been dedicated and passionate about field hockey and strived towards his goals to realize his dream of playing for the country.

He has been a role model to the younger generation and will remain to be an inspiration for all sporting youth in India and around the world. He is one of the best drag- flickers in the world and plays as a fullback for India. He is exceptionally fit and has a strong will power on and off the field. He has been a strong influence in keeping Indian defense strong as a fullback. He was part of the Indian team winning a bronze in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2007, Silver in 2008, Gold in the 2007 Asia cup and Silver in 2013. He was also awarded the "Best Player of the Tournament" in the 2013 Asia cup. He has won many other accolades and awards for India. He has won important games and has played key roles in winning games.

He is also the captain of the Uttar Pradesh Wizards hockey team in the Hockey India League. He is one of the senior most players in the game and having him by our side certainly increases our chances of winning the Olympic Gold this year at Rio. His experience and guidance to the younger players and other teammates along with the experience of our coach Roelant Oltmans will bring out a positive influence in the Indian Men’s Hockey team. The coach has also revealed that he is planning to use multiple captains in the Rio Olympics. Raghunath’s experience in foreign countries and different turf surfaces would help the team achieve its dreams. As a true field hockey fan, I wish that the team would perform well and bring the gold medal home to India. The last gold that we won was in 1980 and I wish that Raghunath and this wonderful team bring home glory. I wish Raghunath all the very best and he plays well and wins more games for us!