We often hear stories of Olympic dreams born early, sparked by watching a star on television and dreaming of one day reaching that stage.
Rarely do we hear of a dream not just to reach the stage, but to help build the stage itself.
India’s Anudeep Reddy is a law student, former hockey player, and chess enthusiast with a strategic, ever-curious mind. Always looking to stimulate that mind, Reddy was on the hunt for his next challenge.
“I was bored one day and began searching for new sports that are part of multi-sporting events like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games,” he told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview. “That’s when I came across lacrosse.”
“The Olympics are the biggest stage for any athlete,” he said. “That was one of the main motivations for me to take up the sport.”
With a background in hockey, the transition felt natural. “The stick skills are pretty similar,” he explained. Within six months, Reddy had earned a place on the national team, and from there, “there was no looking back”.
Just three years after first picking up a stick, he has already led India to a historic Asian Lacrosse Games victory.
On the eve of another 2026 Asian Games campaign, Reddy and India’s men’s and women’s teams return to the stage with a triple mission: to defend their titles, edge closer to LA28 Olympic qualification, and grow the sport at home for future generations.
A sport built by players, for players
Beyond the prospect of becoming an Olympian, Reddy saw a rare opportunity in lacrosse: to shape a sport from scratch.
India, he said, already has a deeply rooted sporting culture, with cricket, football, and hockey operating in well-established systems.
“So if you get into an emerging sport like lacrosse, you can actually build the system from the ground up and bring players in from the grassroots level. You can make a much larger impact compared to trying to get into an already established system. We’re trying to build a system wherein India actually becomes a powerhouse in a couple of years.”
The progression, much like the game itself, was fast.
Lacrosse was first introduced in India in 2008, led by Bijay Mipun, considered the “father” of Indian lacrosse. But it wasn’t until players like Reddy took it up around 2020 that the sport began to gain real momentum. India joined World Lacrosse in 2021.
“The Lacrosse Association of India [LAI] has given us a lot of freedom, especially in terms of suggestions as well as developmental activities,” Reddy said. “So I have to thank them for being flexible and giving players the chance to grow the sport.”
It has not come without challenges. Reddy admits it took “a lot of explaining” to introduce the sport to those unfamiliar with it.
The players themselves have also had to take on multiple roles, as coaches, mentors, and even referees at times: “Because it’s all new, the players have to wear multiple hats. We spend on average five to seven days every month trying to promote the sport.”
In fact, it was Reddy himself who reached out to Olympics.com, wanting to share their story on one of these five to seven days.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/anudeep-reddy-leading-india-lacrosse-rise-la28
