How 19-year-old hockey player Suraj Karkera is making a mark on the international stage

In recent times, the honour of representing Mumbai in international hockey rested purely on the shoulders of the Walmiki brothers, Yuvraj and Devinder. Now, there's another young lad who's making a mark at the international stage, albeit in the junior category.

Meet 19-year-old Suraj Karkera, who was part of the Indian junior team in the recent six-nation Volvo International Tournament in The Netherlands. It was the first time the young goalkeeper broke into the national team, and despite making some good saves in the six matches that he played, he had an honest admission.

"I cost India the bronze medal," Karkera said, sitting on the stands of the Mumbai Hockey Association ground on Monday and reflecting on India's 0-3 loss to England in the third place play-off. "I played well against The Netherlands and Belgium, but let it slip against England," he added.

It is this honesty that stands out about Karkera, who is a prime example of a boy making his way up from the grassroots. Picking up a hockey stick during Class 4 in the Children's Academy (Malad), Karkera went on to play for Rizvi College. He was selected in the Mumbai team for the junior nationals in 2014 and then the senior nationals this year. The India call came last month on the basis of his good show in the nationals.

Incidentally, though, hockey and goalkeeping came by chance to this five-foot-nine-inch boy. "I used to play football as a kid. My school team didn't have a hockey goalkeeper. I got attracted to those goalkeeping pads and told the coach I'll do it. I played hockey just for fun in school. It was only after I entered college that I became a little serious," he said.

A product of renowned coach Mezbaan Patel, Karkera received training from the likes of Conroy Remedios and Edgar Mascarenhas during his college days. His life-altering moment came in 2013, when he was dropped for the junior nationals in Haryana.

"After that, I told myself that I had to become professional. I became serious about hockey after that. I worked on my technique and started enjoying the sport," he said.

Karkera has watched numerous videos of his favourite sportsman, Cristiano Ronaldo, and how the Portuguese football star focussed on various aspects like training and diet. "I am a huge fan of Ronaldo. I have more than 2,000 pictures and 50 videos of him," Karkera, who calls himself a "fitness freak" and loves to hit the gym, said.

The national call-up last month left Karkera both happy and nervous.

"I had only seen that kind of level, not played in. I was really nervous about my performance. Maybe that showed in the match against England," Karkera said.

The Walmiki brothers' ritual of talking to younger players after coming back from each of their tours has left an impression on Karkera.

"Every time they came back from a tour or a camp, they used to talk to us about all different aspects of the game. I would like to do the same," he said.

Karkera also met senior goalkeeper PR Sreejesh during this year's Hockey India League in Mumbai.

"I didn't interact with him much. But I went up to him while he was here for the shooting of HIL. He told me how to approach the game, the preparation and the mindset required to be a good goalkeeper," he said.
However, it is another Mumbaikar who Karkera idolises as far as goalkeeping is concerned.

"I look up to Adrian D'Souza. My teammates here refer to me by his name only. They call me Addu," he said.

Like every junior player, Karkera is hoping to represent India at the senior level too. "It will take time. A player needs to be part of the camp for at least 10 years, only then can you have a chance. I have a long way to go," he said.

That honesty again.