Disappointed after missing out on a place in the opening 16-man squad for the Olympics, Indian men’s hockey team defender Varun Kumar considers himself lucky to have made his Tokyo Games debut with a bronze medal. Alternative players due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Varun, a drag-flicker, and mid-fielder Simranjit Singh made his Olympic debut after he was included in India’s squad after the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow “alternative athletes” in team events due to the pandemic .
“When the team for the Olympics was announced, my name was not part of the 16-man squad. I still remember that day very well and obviously I was disappointed.”
“But after a few days when the IOC allowed hockey teams to be expanded to 18 players, Simranjit and I were called in as alternate athletes. It came as a big relief but somewhere in my mind I was still nervous about making the final 16 and I really wanted to prove myself. “
Varun further said that skipper Manpreet Singh’s face-to-face conversation with him before the team left for Tokyo helped him a lot.
“It really helped that Captain Manpreet had a long conversation with me and energized me mentally. Manpreet has been a big influence in my career from a very young age as we played in the same academy and talking to me made a difference.
“I stopped beating myself up for not being good enough to make it to the 16-man squad. I started focusing on how I can count on this opportunity and how can I fulfill it when the team needs me.”
What happened in Tokyo is now a part of history as the Indian men’s hockey team won an Olympic medal, a bronze medal, after a gap of 41 years. Varun played a key role in India’s 3-1 win over Argentina in the pool stages as he scored the first goal of the match. He was effective in the backline and impressed with his performance every time he was called up.
“It was really a great experience in Tokyo. Winning bronze and standing on the podium with my teammates is probably the best moment of my life. Now my priority will be to improve in every aspect. “We have had a good break after the Olympics and we all look forward to returning to the camp in October,” he said.
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