Youngster Abhishek shares his debut experience as questions rise over Indian Men’s Hockey team

The Indian Men’s hockey team were in South Africa for the FIH Hockey Pro League match against France and South Africa. In these matches young forward Abhishek made his senior team debut for the Men in Blue. The youngster shared his experience from the tour and stated how he learned a lot of things from the senior players.

“It is always a matter of great pride representing your country on the international stage. I felt proud to wear the Indian jersey on the tour and it was a dream come true moment for me,” Abhishek said.

Hailing from Haryana’s Sonipat district, Abhishek was drawn towards the game by his friends and soon the sport became his obsession. He has earlier featured in national tournaments back home but feels that they are totally different from the international matches he played for India.

“I learned a lot playing during the matches. It is very different from the style of hockey that I have played before at the national level as it was a lot quicker and more challenging. But I am happy with my performance and I feel I grew a lot as a player,” Abhishek added.

Abhishek even scored his first goal for India having played three matches on the tour. He highlighted how scoring the first goal for the country was a memorable moment for him just like any other young player.

“As a player, you always want to score as many goals in your career as you can. But you always tend to remember the first goal. I am pleased I was able to open my account against South Africa and I will never forget that moment,” he said.

Abhishek’s school coaches deserve major credit in his career as they convinced his parents to allow him to pursue a career in hockey.

However, the Indian Men’s hockey team has had a disappointing tour in South Africa. After beating both South Africa and France, the Men in Blue faced a 5-2 loss against the Frenchmen. Before the FIH Hockey Pro League, Manpreet Singh and company, lost to Japan in the Asian Champions Trophy in December last year.

The Indian team clinched the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Therefore fans expect them to soar to greater heights in the coming years. But their performances after the Summer games and post Rupinder Pal Singh and Birendra Lakra’s retirement has been underwhelming.