BHUBANESWAR: Whenever Suraj Karkera feels a little low, he turns to his book shelf for inspiration. He frequently reads biographies — 'Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation' is a favourite — for motivation. One such autobiography moved him to such an extent he was compelled to meet and talk to the author. Ian Cardozo, a decorated Army Major who played a big role in the 1971 War against Pakistan.
This was around the time when Karkera had lost his place in the side. These days, Karkera is battling with Krishan Pathak to be the No. 1 custodian for the national team. A couple of years ago, when PR Sreejesh was the numero uno, Karkera, after making his senior debut in 2017, was out of the picture.
The life of a reserve goalkeeper can be a tough gig and Karkera knew he had to be patient, show some resilience. One day, he chanced upon '1971: Stories of Grit and Glory From the Indo-Pak War'. After reading it, he got in touch with Cardozo and requested a meeting. "This was about two years ago," Karkera says.
"I connected with him for a few reasons. The journey he has been through, losing his leg at such a young age, becoming the first differently-abled officer to reach the rank of Major general. How in all the physical tests, he managed to beat a lot of able-bodied officers, it showed his resilience and never-give-up attitude. Also, he was a Bombay boy who used to play hockey back in the day. That connection between two people who play hockey."
What was the advice Cardozo, now 87, gave him? "The pressure, mentality and how you react in situations. Sure, we both come from different fields. Him being in operation and me a sportsperson. But he has a certain perspective. So it helped to refocus on reality than being distracted."
The 29-year-old Karkera said that his own mind space when first picking up the 1971 book wasn't that great. "I wanted to have that spark again," he says. "Of course, I was training and this and that but you tend to be a bit distracted. What will happen in the future? Just to get that thing out of my head... I just wanted to focus on the task at hand and that's what he told me also. 'Leave other things behind and do the job to the best of your ability'."
Karkera, who makes it a point to check on Cardozo whenever he's in Delhi, loves the energy Cardozo radiates whenever they talk. "He's somebody who's 100 years ahead of his time. He's very honest, very sharp. You can feel that energy just by sitting next to him. When he was telling stories of the wars and the operations he conducted, I had goosebumps."
For a long period before Karkera met Cardozo, the custodian waited for his turn. "When I first entered into the team," he says, "I got to play the Asia Cup in 2017. The World League and the Commonwealth Games followed but there was a big gap after that. But it shows your character, what you are going to do during the testing times. In 2021, I was awarded the best goalkeeper title at the Asian Champions Trophy so that was a motivating factor."
But not for a single moment has he felt anything but gratitude for the sport. "There has never been a day when I woke up and thought 'this isn't worth it (when I was waiting)'. This sport has given me a livelihood, allowed me to build a house and given me an identity," he smiles.
When he hangs up his sticks, though, he already has his life charted out. "The Army has completely supported me. That's part of life that will start when I finish playing. I have a passion to serve and think it brings out the true character of a man."
For the time being, the blue canvas will be his workspace, with one medium-term goal. "A podium place at next year's World Cup."
