Hockey: Bengal goalkeeper Abhinav Pandey delivers for India on astroturf

Bengaluru, April 3: Abhinav Pandey is only the third hockey player from Bengal in the last 19 years to represent the senior Indian squad.

Baljit Singh Saini donned the Indian team jersey at the 1998 Asian Games. Then Bharat Chhetri, the goalkeeper from Darjeeling was the last man from Bengal to have donned India shirts in London Olympics 2012.

Bengal's Abhinav Pandey participated in two-Test series between India and Australia in December last year. Pandey, the 22-year old player is a goalkeeper.

The interesting story here is that despite playing on the grass fields in Kolkata as the city is yet to have an Astro-turf, Pandey did not face any major difficulty in getting a call in the senior Indian squad during the week-long selection trial on the Astroturf of Bangalore.

Pandey, who hails from Varanasi, said over phone: “It was senior Indian captain Sreejesh whose priceless advice prepared me to get competency to perform on the Astro-turf in spite of the fact that I have been playing on the grass for last three years with Eastern Railway Sports Association (ERSA) in Kolkata premier hockey league."

He described that during the national preparatory camp at Bangalore Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus he had met Indian captain PR Sreejesh several times.

Pandey further said: “I have also represented junior India for a couple of times and during our camp at Bangalore SAI, I had an opportunity to meet Sreejesh sir for a couple of times as the senior Indian preparatory camp also took place in the same place.

"I asked Sreejesh sir that despite playing on the grass in Kolkata how I could deliver my best on the Astro-turf?

"Sreejesh sir advised me that the ball comes late on the grass and its bounce on the grass becomes uneven.

"But on the Astro-turf, the speed of the ball is much higher. So he asked me to react on any incoming ball a little late.

"His guidance has helped me a lot. I wait for the ball for a few seconds more than on the Astro-turf. At the same time, I work hard on fitness. So technique and fitness help me to deliver on the Astro-turf also."

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