“Have always looked up to legends like Bharat Chetri, PR Sreejesh,” states junior India goalkeeper Pawan

“I consider myself lucky to have reached this place in my life. “I consider myself privileged to be a member of the Core Probables group of the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team, and I aim to continue working hard for my team and my country in the hopes of one day doing it all over again for the Senior team,” the boy stated.

“I suppose the aspect of goalkeeping that I enjoy the most is the amount of control you have over a game and your teammates.” Because goalkeepers can observe every movement taking place in front of them when they’re in that position, it’s easier for them to control and command from the back.

“Another component I appreciate is the rush of adrenaline that comes with making saves and being in goal against some of the best attacking players in the world,” Pawan added. Pawan debuted for India’s Junior Team at the 8-Nations Invitational Tournament in Spain in 2019, before winning Silver at the 9th Sultan of Johor Cup later that year.

Pawan commented, “I think Indian hockey has always been known for having good goalkeepers,” referring to the many goalkeeping legends he admires. I remember seeing luminaries like Devesh Chauhan and Adrian D’Souza, as well as Bharat Chetri and PR Sreejesh, who are also guys I admire, when I was younger. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to talk with a couple of these senior guys, and it’s always given me immense confidence whenever I’ve had the chance to have those conversations,” Pawan continued.

Pawan says he wants to cement a spot in the Indian Junior team for the 2021 Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup, and he wants to follow in the footsteps of former victors. “Obviously, our primary goal is to win the Junior Asia Cup, but we’re also very focused on the Junior World Cup, which will be held in our country.” “There will be expectations because we are the reigning Champions,” the 19-year-old said. “But what we all talk about is how we can all look at the performances of the players who won the World Cup in 2016, and then try to replicate that in front of our own fans.”

“I recall sitting at home watching Vikas Dahiya make some fantastic saves in that competition back in 2016, thinking to myself that maybe one day I’ll be in a similar situation,” Pawan added.

Greetings, Press Release