“I was nervous before the game but the seniors supported me,’ India’s young goalkeeper Pawan Malik opens up on his FIH Pro League experience

The Indian Men’s Hockey team has responded well to the World Cup disappointment as they have now won three consecutive FIH Hockey Pro League matches against Germany and Australia at the Birsa Munda International stadium in Rourkela.

The players have shown great energy and are doing really well and that’s the main cause for their win over top teams. In these matches, one player who has stood out from the rest was India’s goalkeeper Pawan Malik.

Kisha Pathak missed the matches due to his wedding so it allowed Pawan an opportunity to play against top teams. Pawan played in nine quarters and acted as a understudy to veteran custodian PR Sreejesh.

Pawan in a recent interview opened up on how all of this was a dream for him. He always wanted to play with Sreejesh and learn from him and hence this occasion was very special for the 21-year-old. “I had a dream and now playing with Sree bhai is a proud moment and dream come true for me. He is the true legend of the game and he keeps advising me on how to handle pressure,” Pawan said in an interaction with The Bridge.

With India taking on World Champions Germany and Australia, it is normal to be a little nervous and Pawan was no different. He admitted that the seniors backed him a lot and helped him remain calm at the big stage. “I was nervous before the game definitely but the seniors and team management have supported me. They told me to take it just as a game, remember our plans, and execute it during the game,” he quipped.

The best thing about the Indian team is the camaraderie players share with each other and the support they show for one another. Pawan highlights how much he has learned from the likes of Kishan Pathak, Srejesh and Suraj Karkera. He opened up on how the senior goalkeepers helped him develop into a better goalkeeper and gave him tips to be better in certain circumstances.

“I have been part of the camp for some time. All the senior goalkeepers such as Sree bhai, Krishan Pathak paaji, and Suraj Karkera bhaisahab always guide me and help me improve my weak areas. During the special goalkeeper camp, I trained with them and worked my reflexes which is helping in such high-intensity games here in FIH Pro League,” he said

Pawan Malik represented India in the Junior World Cup in 2021 in Bhubaneswar and has gradually gone up the ranks. With Sreejesh not getting any younger, goalkeepers like Kishan and Pawan needs to be at their top level when the veteran decides to hang up his stick.