Bengaluru, May 16 : After a brief stint with the Indian junior team in 2023, Poovanna Chandura Boby is now training with the senior core group ahead of European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League leg. The 22-year-old is currently part of the senior national camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bengaluru and has made it into the 40-member core group.

With the junior team, Poovanna had a fruitful spell, winning the gold and bronze medals at the 2022 and 2023 Sultan of Johar Cup, respectively. He was also part of men's Junior Asia Cup winning squad in 2023 and made it to the senior national camp in August 2024.

About his experience training in the camp, Poovanna said, 'I've played for junior team in 2023 and now training with the senior players, I see a lot of differences between them and us. There's a lot of work we need to put in to get to that level. It doesn't matter how fit you are, you need to get much better to compete against European teams. We are getting gassed out every session, but we need to push hard to keep up. It has been a brilliant journey so far.'

He played the Hockey India League 2024/25 for champions Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, however, he couldn't play the complete tournament due to an unfortunate injury. In their seventh match against JSW Soorma Hockey Club, Poovanna suffered a facial injury while defending a penalty corner.

'It was a penalty corner and I generally don't rush third, so I didn't have my face mask on. Harmanpreet Singh fired a shot and it deflected off my teammate's stick and hit my upper cheek. So, I was rushed off the field and I had to get my surgery done right away. I couldn't play the rest of the tournament,' he explained.

Poovanna also revealed that he could have made his senior team debut during the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 in Bhubaneswar but missed out on the opportunity due to his injury. 'Thankfully we won the HIL but the coach told me that I was called up for the Pro League squad but I couldn't go because of my injury. Hence, I joined the camp early, worked with the physio in order to get in good shape for the training camp in March,' he added.

Hailing from Kodagu, formerly known as Coorg, Poovana comes from a family where hockey is a proud tradition. The Kodava hockey festival is renowned worldwide for being one of the world's largest hockey tournaments, with hundreds of families participating in the event as a tradition.

'When I was a kid, I used to watch those games and I always wanted to wear my family jersey, so that inspired me to start playing in school and I got naturally good at it. Playing for my family team was a dream come true for me, after which I pursued the sport professionally. I have never had a Plan B, hockey has always been my top priority.'

Talking about the dynamic he shares with the other senior players of the squad, Poovanna shared, 'The seniors are very easy to talk to and we youngsters learn a lot from them since they have been playing for a lot of years and have much better experience than us. We need to learn from them because we need to carry forward their legacy in the coming years.'

'I look up to Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh a lot because they play the position I play in midfield. I like how calm and composed they are when they get the ball and progress the game ahead. Some things that they do on the field are truly inspiring.'

Poovanna also spoke about his experience training under coach Craig Fulton. 'I'm training under him right now, and he's really good. He's easy to approach, and you can ask him whatever you want, and he gives you clear answers. Whenever we train, if someone does something wrong, he stops the game and he teaches them, which helps us a lot and gives a very valuable perspective.'

After missing out on the opportunity in February, Poovanna is determined to make his Indian senior team debut and solidify his position in the squad during the European leg of the FIH Pro League. 'The upcoming tournament is crucial for me, and I will ensure I work on my shortcomings tirelessly and do my best with whatever chances I get,' he concluded on a strong note.

/IANS