With hope of India comeback, Devindar Walmiki goes Dutch

Devindar Walmiki has been making all the right noises in the domestic hockey circuit since falling out of favour in the senior national set up after the 2016 Rio Olympics, only to never return till date. Armed with the hope and hunger of an India comeback, the Mumbai boy is now going Dutch.

The 27-year-old midfielder has been signed up by HGC, among the top hockey clubs in The Netherlands. Devindar, along with India's 2016 Junior World Cup-winning captain Harjeet Singh, have been roped in for their 2019-20 season which will also include playing in the Euro Hockey League, considered to be one of the best in Europe and the world. No Indian other than former captain Sardar Singh (Bloemendaal in 2013) has ever played for a Holland club.

Incidentally, while it was Dutchman Roelant Oltmans who was in charge of Indian hockey when Devindar was gradually faded out of the team from late 2016 onwards, another Dutchman is responsible for showing him some light at the end of the tunnel.

A casual message to Paul Van Ass, who coached the Indian men's team for around six months back in 2015, led to Devindar being granted this huge break.

"This happened around 2-3 months ago, when I was having a chat with Van Ass. I mentioned to him that I would love to apply for a club in Holland," Devindar told DNA on Thursday.

"He told me why go anywhere else, play for my club," he added of Van Ass, who took over as coach of HGC a couple of years ago.

There was a catch, though.

Devindar had done reasonably well as an attacking midfielder in the Hockey India National Championship (Division A) in February, scoring four goals in helping Petroleum Sports Promotion Board finish third. He was, thus, optimistic of an entry into the probables of 48 for the Indian team, which would mean forgetting about the Holland sojourn.

However, as has been the case with him over the last three years, the call never came.

"When my name didn't come in the 48, I felt really bad. I called the coach (Van Ass), and I'll never forget his words. He told me, 'I'm sorry they didn't call you, but I welcome you to play for my club with open arms'," Devindar recalled.

"That's when I realised that in life, when one door shuts, another opens."

Like an excited child getting admission in a prestigious college, Devindar called his mentor and "father figure", the legendary Dhanraj Pillay.

"He was so happy. He told me this is a golden opportunity, and that I should give my 100 per cent," Devindar said.

This is just the kind of big-ticket opportunity Devindar had been waiting for ever since he was sidelined from the team after it won gold in the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy. Months before that, he had made the cut in the Indian side for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a rare distinction for a hockey player in Mumbai.

But the spotlight was short-lived, with the wait to wear that India jersey again only getting longer with each passing year.

"It was so disappointing to be suddenly left out like that just months after being known as an Olympian," Devindar, who has 48 international caps, said.

"I thought if I keep fighting and keep giving my best, I'll be given another chance. But the comeback never came," he added.

While he continued to make his presence felt in the domestic circuit, Devindar also played in various leagues around the globe, including in Germany, America, Canada and Oman.

"All coaches that I played under said the same thing: why aren't you in the national team? I said maybe I must be lacking somewhere. But those kind of words made me believe that there's still some hockey left in me," Devindar said.

A lot of people in the Indian hockey circles didn't, however, and Devindar thought that the best way to deal with them was do let his hockey do the talking.

"When people talk behind your back, it only motivates me to work harder. If you start talking about those people, then you can forget about your hockey. I wanted to reply to them with my stick, not my mouth," he said.

Indeed, staying positive in those negative times was challenging for Devindar, but he realised that the more he stressed about playing for India again, the more he felt the burden of getting there.

"I played with that thought for two years after being dropped. But then I spoke to a few close people around me, and they told me you've played with that pressure for so long, now try and just enjoy your hockey. I then started to play with a free mind, and the difference showed in this year's Nationals," Devindar said.

That's not to say that he has given up on his desire to represent his country again. Far from it.

He's leaving for Holland on August 25, and over the next five months, Devindar will play for HGC with a singular vision.

"It is my dream to play for India again. I'm just waiting for that moment, and I'm sure it will come. And, when it comes, I will prove that I've still got it," Devindar said.

Did You Know?   

• Before Devindar Walmiki and Harjeet Singh were picked up by HGC, the only Indian player to play for a Holland club was former India captain Sardar Singh, who was signed by Bloemendaal in 2013

48 No. of matches Devindar Walmiki had played for India before being dropped from the set up in late 2016