Midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad, who will lead India The men’s junior hockey team in the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 reflected on the beginning of their journey in a recent conversation on Hockey India Podcast ‘Hockey Te Charcha’. The 21-year-old, who was part of India’s historic bronze-medal winning campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, recalled how he had to deal with injuries early in his career. “In 2013, in a small tournament in my village in Itarsi district of Madhya Pradesh, Ashok Dhyan Chand came as the chief guest. He picked me from there and gave me a chance to come to the academy. I was surprised that such a big player is inviting me to his academy. I couldn’t believe it,” revealed Vivek.
“After two years, I came to the India Junior National Camp. But unfortunately I was not selected in the 33-member core group. A week later, when I went back to the academy, I suffered a major injury because my collar bone was broken. After the operation, it took me about five months to recover.
“After I returned, I had another injury, and it was serious. The doctor told my parents that there was little chance of my recovery. But I focused on my recovery and at that time my family and friends helped me.”
In 2017, Vivek led the India men’s junior team as captain for the first time in the Sultan of Johor Cup tournament in Malaysia, where India finished third. Vivek was adjudged ‘Young Player of the Tournament’ for his consistent performance.
In 2018, Vivek got a call-up for India’s men’s senior team, and now, after performing at the highest level against some of the best teams in the world over the past three years, the young hockey star once led India’s junior team. will do. To defend the title again at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar.
Speaking on the improvement of the junior team since playing with them for the first time in 2017, Vivek especially highlighted the team’s bonding. “The team did better in 2018 and 2019, but in 2020, the COVID period was a period of struggle for all. But the players remained and trained together with the aim of winning the title (in Bhubaneswar), and hence the unity and bond between them has improved a lot. The team structure has also improved.”
Vivek also said that some players have also improved, especially Maninder Singh, Rahul Rajbar and Sanjay have been named as some of the key players in the team. “I am hopeful and confident that we will do well in this tournament as well,” Vivek said.
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