Krishan Pathak yearns to soar to Paris by air

In fact, the veteran was Indias goalkeeping coach during the 2016 junior World Cup, where Pathak showcased his talent to a broader world for the first time.The 27-year-old insisted that the competition for an Olympic berth has not affected their personal equation.Its dream for me to work with and play alongside Sree bhai.

Krishan Pathak finds himself in a bizarre situation. He will have to battle it out with his friend and mentor PR Sreejesh for the lone goalkeeper's slot in India's hockey squad for the Paris Olympics.

In Olympics, a country can carry only a 16-member squad as against 18 players in other tournaments, and that restriction often forces the coach to sacrifice one goalkeeper to include another player in a different position.

It happened in the Tokyo Olympics as Sreejesh did the custodian's duty during India's bronze-winning run, while Pathak watched the action from the gallery.

But this time, Pathak is not ready to give up the slot without a fight.

''The coach hasn't told us the team composition for the Olympics. My aim is to be ready 100 percent when the call comes. There is a healthy competition going on within the squad to earn a place in the Olympics-bound team.

''Every player feels that he can be part of that squad. I am no different, and I want to be on that flight to Paris,'' Pathak told PTI during the team's training camp at the SAI centre here. Pathak shares a deep connection with Sreejesh. In fact, the veteran was India's goalkeeping coach during the 2016 junior World Cup, where Pathak showcased his talent to a broader world for the first time.

The 27-year-old insisted that the competition for an Olympic berth has not affected their personal equation.

''It's dream for me to work with and play alongside Sree bhai. We are very comfortable with each other. We share a lot of information, especially when one of us commits mistakes. We point that out to each other.

''Whenever I commit a mistake, he will come and tell me what went wrong and how to rectify it. Similarly, I will do that when Sree bhai makes a mistake. We have a great bonding between us – on and off the field,'' detailed Pathak.

The immediate assignment in front of him is the FIH Pro-League matches, starting at Antwerp, Belgium from May 22.

India will face some top-flight teams like Germany and Belgium in that tournament. Pathak wanted to assert his claim for an Olympic berth through some strong outings in the Pro-League.

''We've played eight Pro-League matches in Ranchi and Rourkela. Now, we have some more Pro-League matches coming up ahead of the Olympics. We will meet some of those teams in the Olympics too. That familiarity will help us.

''As a goalkeeper, I will look to source as much knowledge from the Pro-League matches about our possible opponents in the Olympics,'' he added.

The Kapurthala man was all praise for Indian national team coach Craig Fulton, saying that the South African is helping the players to achieve their optimum potential ahead of the quadrennial showpiece.

''When he spots a weakness, he starts working on it immediately. He hates wasting time. When we went to Australia recently, our attack and defence were not working as we lost the series 0-5.

''Now, in this camp we are working on those aspects under Fulton, who believes in immediate course correction. I think it will reflect in Paris,'' he explained.

Overcoming struggles ============== Pathak, now, might be engaged in an intense race for a place in India's squad for the Olympics. But he has seen and tamed bigger challenges after losing his parents early in his life.

He draws strength from that tough period as a teenager.

''It was a very difficult phase. I don't know how I survived that period as it put a lot of pressure on me. There was a certain loneliness inside me then as suddenly I was without my parents, even though my brother and uncle supported me a lot,'' he said.

Pathak said his single-minded dedication for hockey too played a big part in him getting out of that dark space.

''Eventually, it was up to me to get out of that phase. Hockey saved me during that time as I channelised all my thoughts towards the sport, so that I could forget all those bad moments.

''I keep reminding myself about those days of struggle, so that I remain focused on life and sport,'' he said.

His hard work eventually came to a fruition in the Hangzhou Asian Games when he stood on the podium with a gold medal around his neck.

But even on that grand day, Pathak had a cavernous cut inside his heart.

''It was the proudest moment in my life. The only regret was that my parents were not there to see the moment as I always wanted to show them my achievements.

''I really miss my mom and dad. But I am sure that they are proud of me wherever they are,'' he choked with emotion.

Pathak also recently achieved the feat of completing 100 international matches for India, and he feels that it is the time to climb to the next level.

''It's a proud achievement for me after a topsy-turvy journey. I never thought of achieving it as I come from a family which has no hockey background. After playing so many matches, I am finding more about my own game now.

''I feel that now I am better at handling pressure and giving tips to the team from the goalkeeper's position. I am hoping to build on that in future,'' he signed off.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)