Mohammad Hakeem, an ex-cadet of Tata Steel Handball Training Center has become an officer in the CRPF. Hakeem, who has represented the country in several international handball competitions, was posted in New Delhi as an havildar before he was promoted as an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in the CRPF. He has been posted in Jamshedpur.

CRPF deputy inspector general (Kolhan) Ashu Shukla handed over the batch to the 29-year-old Hakeem three days back. Expressing happiness, Hakeem, a resident of Mango locality of the steel city, thanked the CRPF for his promotion. "I will give my best as an ASI. I am thankful to the CRPF for my promotion," he added.

Tata Steel Handball Training Centre chief coach Dr Hassan Imam Mallick said Hakeem has been a tough-working handballer during his stint at the cradle. "I am happy for his promotion and thank DIG (Kolhan) Ashu Shukla and DIG Dinesh Uniyal (chief, all India sports of CRPF) for promoting handballers across the country in their career. Our current cadets are also very happy for Hakeem's promotion," he added.

According to him, Hakeem, a goalkeeper, captained the country in the Asian Beach Handball Championship and represented the country in several international competitions.

Set up in 2002 at the JRD Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, the Tata handball cradle has produced international players who have represented the country in international championships. Around 60 ex-cadets have landed employment with CRPF, CISF and Railways and other public sector undertakings. Atiqur Rahman and Jameel Ahmad (both ex-cadets), to name a few, are posted as CRPF deputy commandants in Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh, respectively.Wasiul Rahman recently got a job with Jharkhand police.

There are presently over 60 cadets, including 17 girls, at the cradle. Prakash Rao, a former coach at the cradle, also guided the cadets along with Mallick.

Mallick, who is the chief coach at the cradle for a decade, keeps a tab on employment opportunities and guides the cadets in getting jobs.

Jharkhand State handball Association secretary Khurshid Khan and treasurer Firoz Khan have congratulated Hakeem for his promotion.