Pathak, Karkera gunning to grab the opportunity after P R Sreejesh's retirement

Bengaluru: A door that seemed shut, thanks to the electric presence of star goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, has opened up for Krishan B Pathak and Suraj Karkera, and the duo are determined to break it through with full force.

For a vast majority of the last decade, Sreejesh was the undisputed numero uno custodian for India and with the Keraliite barely having a bad tournament that saw him earn the nickname “The Wall”, Pathak and Karkera were forced to play second fiddle.

In fact, it looked like they may have to do so for the next couple of years -- the FIH Hockey World Cup and Asian Games are scheduled in 2026 -- as the 36-year-old Sreejesh showed no signs of abetting in producing one rip-roaring performance after another.

But out of nowhere, their aspirations found a window of opportunity when Sreejesh announced that the Paris Olympics was going to be his farewell tournament. And when the Keralite stood firm on his decision to walk away on a high after India won a bronze in Paris, Pathak and Karkera may even have rejoiced a bit in secret.

And rightfully so because both are in their prime and any more time spent as understudy could have had negative impact on their careers. That hunger to excel and hurt of being born in an era of a master was evident in both their faces as they spoke candidly to DH after being picked for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China from September 8-17.

“Last two Olympics were a hard time for me,” said the 27-year Pathak who was chosen as a reserve for the Paris Games but was forced to watch the game from the stands because the Olympics only allow 16 players in a squad and teams generally pick only one keeper.

“Rules cannot be changed. It is everyone's dream to win an Olympic medal, but to watch your team-mates win it from the sidelines is tough. I also took it as motivation that I want to make the team for the next Olympics and win a medal for the country.”

“It is a big opportunity for me with Sreejesh retiring,” said the 29-year-old Karkera. “He has raised the standard of goalkeeping in the country. We have trained for a long time together but now is our chance to show we too can keep well.”

Karkera was the first to find a spot beside Sreejesh when he earned his maiden national call-up during an away Test series against Belgium in August 2017. An impressive start saw him make the cut for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia where India finished fourth. Thereafter, however, Karkera was usurped by Pathak to be Sreejesh’s backup, featuring in a total of just 43 matches.

The strapping Pathak made his debut during a 4 Nations Invitation tournament in Tauranga, New Zealand in January 2018. Perceived to have more all-round abilities than Karkera, the Indian think-tank invested in him more by first playing him for a quarter and then gradually increasing his game time.

Well aware that it was his only opportunity, Pathak, as chirpy as Sreejesh, gave it his all and those performances saw him earn two World Cups – 2018 and 2023 – and two Asian Games – 2018 and 2023 – berths but mostly as a back-up to Sreejesh with the veteran doing the duty in all the big events.

Having watched all of Sreejesh’s heroics, Pathak, who has played 125 matches, now wants to raise the bar.

“Sree bhai has set a benchmark for us and we want to raise that bar. Everyone calls him The Wall. We want to raise and strengthen the wall that he has built for India in the goalpost. We want to create our own identity and we want to be recognised among the best goalkeepers.”

Pathak, having battled with Sreejesh for a long time, now has a different fight against Karkera. He’s now the main man but there won’t be any room for even minor errors with Karkera too determined to button down that spot.

“There is good and healthy competition with him,” said Pathak. “We have been together since 2015 and we have a good bonding. We discuss each other's games and support each other. Also, we back each other. That said, my journey with Sree bhai is different from it is going to be with Suraj.”

Karkera too echoed the same thoughts. “It’s one position which is very hard to crack. I have to perform consistently high. We’ll be pushing each other for that one spot and that I feel that sort of healthy competition is good for us.”

Note: The Asian Champions Trophy will be telecasted live on the Sony Network.