TIRKEY Prabodh < Back  
Sport Hockey
CGA India   
Gender Men
Born 06 Oct 1984 in Sundargarh, IND
Height1.73 m
Weight 71 kg
Human Interest
Further Personal Information
Residence India
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team Indian Airlines: New Delhi, IND
General Interest
Injuries He aggravated an old injury in his lower back on the first day of a training camp ahead of the 2005 Junior Hockey World Cup in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Initially it was thought he would recover in time to take part, but medical reports indicated he required surgery and would be out of action for one year. (The Hindu, 06 Jun 2006)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport? "I couldn’t think of anything else. Ever since I could think, I always thought of playing hockey for India," he said.
General Interest
Hero / Idol "I come from a region which has produced many great players like Sylvanus Dung, Manohar Topno and Dilip Tirkey. If I can achieve even half of what they did, I will consider myself lucky." (stick2hockey.com, 17 May 2006)
Sport Specific Information
Preferred position / style / stance / technique Midfield
International Debut
Year 2002
Competing for India
Location Australia
General Interest
Other information PHL CHAMPIONSHIP
In domestic competition, he was part of the Bangalore Lions squad that won India's Premier Hockey League [PHL] championship in 2006. (Rediff, 05 Jun 2002)

INTERNATIONAL BLACKOUT
Much to his and his brother's anguish, their father Walter, or indeed any of their relatives, never get to watch them represent India because there's no electricity in the village they live [Lulkidihi] to power the TV. (ZeeNews, 07 Oct 2004)

ADDITIONAL
He was part of the squad that won India’s first ever Junior World Cup in 2001, thrashing Argentina 6-1 in the final in Hobart, Australia. A year earlier he captained India's U16 team that won the inaugural Sub Junior Asia Cup in Singapore. He was also the tournament's top goalscorer with nine goals, which included two hat-tricks. (Indian Hockey, 25 Jun 2000; Rediff, 01 Oct 2001)
Famous relatives His brother Ignace Tirkey also plays international hockey for India, and was also in the India squad that won the country's first ever Junior World Cup in 2001. "I got serious because Ignace was doing so well [at hockey] and also got a job because of it," he said. Ignace used to provide his brother with leftover sticks, kit and astroturf trainers that he couldn't otherwise afford. (Rediff, 01 Oct 2001, Times of India, 28 Jan 2004)
Awards and honours He was part of the squad that won India’s first ever Junior Hockey World Cup in 2001, thrashing Argentina 6-1 in the final in Hobart, Australia. (Rediff, 01 Oct 2001)

He was the captain of the India U16 team that won the inaugural Sub Junior Asia Cup in Singapore in 2000. He was also the tournament's top goalscorer with nine goals, which included two hat-tricks. (Indianhockey.com, 25 Jun 2000)
Further Personal Information
Occupation Athlete
Languages Hindi, English