CHENNAI: “Malaai pani Nepali dherai aaundena, kaile kaile ghar jaana bela hi bolne ho (I also don’t know Nepali that well, it’s only when I go back to my village that I speak the language).” This was young Krishan Bahadur Pathak’s response when asked about his Nepali roots. Though Lugdi, some six hours away from its capital Kathmandu, is his ancestral village, Krishan was born near Jalandhar, Punjab, and has lived most of his life in India.
Ask how his family came to India, and the 20-year-old says his father crossed borders for work. “My father used to work here, and my mother also used to be with him. I too was born here, so I guess I’m as much Indian as Nepali,” Krishan told Express.
It was his family that pushed him into hockey, and goalkeeping also came by chance. “I stay with my uncle, and along with my dad, he asked me to get into sports. So I started playing hockey with a few friends of mine. Regarding goalkeeping, it was my coach who asked me to perform the duty, and since I had no issues with what position to play, I took it up. Luckily it has proved to be a good move,” he noted.
His mother had passed away when he was ten, and this year, on his maiden tour with the junior squad to England, his father also breathed his last. Despite such a setback, Krishan decided to stay back and compete, even though junior coach Harendra Singh gave him the go-ahead to return home for the last rites.
“It was a difficult time for me and wasn’t an easy decision to make. As soon as I heard the news, I called my uncle and sisters. They didn’t force me to come home, and in fact assured me that I could stay on and play while they took care of all the work for my father’s funeral.
“Harendra (sir) also gave me the permission to go home, assuring me that my place in the squad would not be in jeopardy. But since it was my maiden tour, and I wanted to make a mark, I decided to stay back, and it was the right move,” he said.
The junior team is in Lucknow preparing for the upcoming World Cup from December 8 to 18, and senior captain PR Sreejesh was with the colts during their camp in Bengaluru. Krishan said it was a unique opportunity. “Preparations went well and having Sreejesh was a boost. Being a keeper himself, he helped me with positioning and how to organise a defence. Plus, his leadership qualities shone through, and we all could learn from him,” he concluded.
raviiyer@newindianexpress.com