CHENNAI: Fresh from India’s bronze medal finish at the FIH Junior World Cup held in Tamil Nadu earlier this year, 19-year-old Adrohit Ekka is eager to make an impression in his debut season at the Hockey India League with Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons.
The midfielder from Odisha has endured a challenging personal journey since losing his mother in an unfortunate incident in 2022. Since then, he has steadily risen through the ranks, first making his mark in the Odisha hockey setup before earning a place in the junior national side. Adrohit was part of the Odisha team that won gold at the Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai in 2024.
He also captained the Odisha Under-19 team to gold at the second Hockey India Junior East Zone Championship and led the state side to a fourth-place finish at the 13th Hockey India Junior Under-20 Men’s National Championship in 2023.
Set to feature in the franchise league for the first time, Adrohit said he is excited about the opportunity to learn and grow. “It is my first time in the league, and there are many senior and foreign players in the team. I will get to learn a lot from them, and I am very happy,” Adrohit told
The youngster believes familiarity with conditions in Chennai will work in his favour when the league gets underway at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on January 3. “The crowd here supports us a lot. They are very loud and that pushes us to perform better,” he said.
Aware of the significance of the Hockey India League for young players, Adrohit admitted that strong performances could help him move closer to the senior national team. “This league is a big platform for players like us. If we do well here, it will catch the selectors’ attention and help us take the next step,” he said.
Adrohit will also share the dressing room with Olympian and team captain Amit Rohidas, a fellow Odisha native. Recalling their earlier interactions at the Odisha High Performance Centre, he said Rohidas had encouraged him to stay true to his strengths. “When I got my first national camp call-up, he was very happy for me. He told me to play my natural game and keep learning from the players around me,” Adrohit said.