The youngest Indian to win an Asian hockey gold, Lajarus Barla was born on November 4, 1979 at Sundargarh in Orissa. He received his education from Orissa Secondary Boarding School. He is a product of Pamposh Sports Hostel, Orissa.
In the domestic circuit he plays for Indian Airlines. His position in the team is a ‘Back Player’. In 1996, he played at the junior levels. From 1997 to 2000 he participated in Senior Nationals and Muruguppa Gold Cup.
He made his international debut in 1997 in the Junior World Cup tournament. Since then he has played in almost 159 international matches. He took part in the Sydney Olympics held in 2000.
He twice participated in the World Cup held in Kuala Lumpur and Utrech. He was the captain of the Indian team in the Junior Asia Cup and also scored 2 goals. He has played all the major international and national tournaments during his short career.