CHENNAI: Krishan Pathak has great memories of playing in front of the packed Chennai crowd as they showed up in numbers for India's Asian Champions Trophy assignment before the Asian Games in Hangzhou. "It's good to be back in Chennai," the Indian goalkeeper, representing Punjab in the 13th Hockey India Senior Men's National Championship, told this daily.
"I have good memories of playing in Chennai for the Asian Champions Trophy. The ACT was just before the Asian Games and many teams that we eventually played against in the continental tournament participated in the Chennai event as well. It was an ideal preparation and a confidence booster for us. The crowd in Chennai was like a 12th man for us during the ACT. They came supporting not just for us but for other teams as well," Pathak mentioned.
The goalkeeper with the experience of more than 100 internationals started his senior career alongside veteran PR Sreejesh in 2018. Pathak believes he has learned a lot from the former Indian captain. "I have been playing alongside him since 2018. It's great to share the field and dressing room with him as I get to learn a lot from him. I think a goalkeeper is required to have those leadership qualities in him to keep things under control and keep defence intact. I have learned a lot of things by observing him over the years. And he has undoubtedly helped me grow as a player," he added.
Along with the former captain, Pathak believes current Punjab and India captain Harmanpreet Singh has also left a mark on the state and the national team and that has helped the dynamics between those two teams. "As a leader, even if he is leading Punjab or India, he is the same person. He has been guiding a lot of us on and off the field as well. Because he has that experience and knowledge of the game, we can play the way we want. I think Punjab players have that bond between them as we have played a lot of hockey together at different levels. Many of us have also played together in the junior WC as well. So we are well aware of each other's game and the bonding," he added.
If the captain has inspired the Indian team to play their best hockey, coach Craig Fulton has played a massive role in preparing the team for that level since taking over the job from Graham Reid. The former South African international has overseen two major undefeated campaigns for India, while also confirming the Olympic quota for the team. Pathak credits the coach for his systematic approach towards recent challenges.
"He has been supportive since he joined the team. Many new players were part of the national team and have had game time since the Pro League. A player also knows that he will get the opportunity and it can help him improve his game. He is very communicative with players and seeks feedback from us and that has helped our team. Even before starting these tournaments, he told us that we were going to approach the tours step-by-step. And now the next step in that direction is Paris. We will follow that vision and procedure in the Olympics as well," determined Pathak concluded.
