Latest news with #Poovanna
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Poovanna looks to shine in Aus
Bengaluru: The year started on a painful note for Poovanna Chandura Boby. The Karnataka player suffered a facial injury while representing Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers against Soorma Hockey Club in the Hockey India League in Jan. Poovanna went under the knife shortly after and was out of action for two months. The time away from the sport hurt his selection chances for the Indian team and also for the FIH Pro League. There's some salvation for the 22-year-old, who has earned a maiden call-up to the 24-member national team for the upcoming Tour of Australia. The four-match exposure tour, starting Aug 15 in Perth, provides an opportunity for the midfielder-turned-defender to showcase his skills against one of the strongest hockey nations in the world. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Poovanna has his task cut out for the trip Down Under. The goal is to play good hockey and seal his spot in the 18-member Indian team for the Asia Cup, which starts on Aug 29 in Rajgir, Bihar. "It is my goal to earn a place in the Asia Cup squad," he told TOI at the Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru. "This tour (of Australia) is a really big thing for me in terms of selection. It all boils down to me, how I deliver on the pitch there. I need to show what I can do on the field. I am excited. It also provides me an opportunity to assess myself, where I stand at this top level." The present squad will be pruned for the continental event, which acts as a World Cup qualifier. Needless to say there's tough competition for spots in the Indian team. Poovanna, who hails from Kodagu, understands the situation, but remains positive. "There are a lot of quality players in the team and I am just 22 and I have a lot of room for improvement with age on my side. We have a lot of competition for every position now. Even if I fail to break into the Asia Cup side, I know I will be there for big competitions soon," he said. Poovanna has climbed the rungs with strong performances from the junior level. Besides being a gold medal winning member of the Indian team, which won the Junior Asia Cup in 2023 in Oman, he has also featured in the 2023 Junior World Cup in Malaysia and the Indian 'A' teams. "You need to evolve every day in the senior team. It is not difficult, but it will be a challenge. I need to find that consistency and constantly improve," said Poovanna. The 22-year-old's performance graph has shown a steady climb. He'll look to keep it that way.
The Hindu
04-08-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Selvam Karthi named in India's squad for Australia tour
Hockey India on Monday named the 24-member Indian men's hockey team for the four-match Tour of Australia from 15th August to 21st August in Perth. This will be an exposure tour ahead of the all-important Asia Cup in Rajgir from 29th August which is a World Cup Qualifier. The Indian team will be led by ace dragflicker, defender Harmanpreet Singh and will feature Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera as goalkeepers. Defenders in the squad along with Harmanpreet are Sumit, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Amit Rohidas, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Jugraj Singh while Karnataka's Poovanna CB comes in as a fresh face in the squad. Talented young midfielder Rajinder Singh, who is often likened to stalwart former India Captain Sardar Singh, has been named in the squad as midfielder along with Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Vishnu Kant Singh while Mandeep Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Selvam Karthi and Aditya Lalage will join them as forwards. READ | We are preparing for Pakistan, don't want to give excuses later: India head coach Fulton on Asia Cup Speaking about the importance of this tour ahead of the Asia Cup, head coach Craig Fulton said, 'We are heading to Perth to sharpen up ahead of the Asia Cup in Bihar. The focus will be on improving our physical conditioning and technical execution through quality training and warm up matches.' Fulton also spoke about testing youngsters in the squad and giving them the exposure ahead of important outings. He said, 'We have brought in some younger players to give them valuable exposure and test combinations under pressure. This camp is a key part of our preparation and a chance to build individual and team momentum before competing at home.' The Indian team will leave for Australia on August 8 from Bengaluru where it is currently training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus. Indian Men's Hockey Team Goalkeepers: Krishan B Pathak, Suraj Karkera Defenders: Sumit, Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (C), Sanjay, Amit Rohidas, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Jugraj Singh, Poovanna CB Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Vishnu Kant Singh Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Lalage, Dilpreet Singh
India Gazette
16-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Never had a Plan B...": Poovanna aims to make India debut after recovering from serious injury
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 16 (ANI): After a brief stint with the Indian junior team in 2023, Poovanna Chandura Boby is now training with the senior core group ahead of the European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League leg. The 22-year-old is currently part of the senior national camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bengaluru and has made it into the 40-member core group. With the junior team, Poovanna had a fruitful spell, winning the Gold and Bronze medals at the 2022 and 2023 Sultan of Johor Cup, respectively. He was also part of India's Men's Junior Asia Cup winning squad in 2023 and made it to the senior national camp in August 2024, a Hockey India release said. 'I've played for the junior team in 2023 and now training with the senior players, I see a lot of differences between them and us. There's a lot of work we need to put in to get to that level. It doesn't matter how fit you are, you need to get much better to compete against European teams. We are getting gassed out every session, but we need to push hard to keep up. It has been a brilliant journey so far,' Poovanna said, according to the release. Poovanna played the Hero Hockey India League 2024/25 for champions Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, however, he couldn't play the complete tournament due to an unfortunate injury. In their seventh match against JSW Soorma Hockey Club, Poovanna suffered a facial injury while defending a penalty corner. 'It was a penalty corner and I generally don't rush third, so I didn't have my face mask on. Harmanpreet Singh fired a shot and it deflected off my teammate's stick and hit my upper cheek. So, I was rushed off the field and I had to get my surgery done right away. I couldn't play the rest of the tournament,' he explained. He also revealed that he could have made his senior team debut during the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 in Bhubaneswar but missed out on the opportunity due to his injury. 'Thankfully, we won the HIL but the coach told me that I was called up for the Pro League squad but I couldn't go because of my injury. Hence, I joined the camp early, worked with the physio in order to get in good shape for the training camp in March,' he added. Hailing from Kodagu, formerly known as Coorg, Poovana comes from a family where hockey is a proud tradition. The Kodava hockey festival is renowned worldwide for being one of the world's largest hockey tournaments, with hundreds of families participating in the event as tradition. 'When I was a kid, I used to watch those games and I always wanted to wear my family jersey, so that inspired me to start playing in school and I got naturally good at it. Playing for my family team was a dream come true for me after which I pursued the sport professionally. I have never had a Plan B, hockey has always been my top priority,' Poovanna said. Talking about the dynamic he shares with the other senior players of the squad, Poovanna shared, 'The seniors are very easy to talk to and we youngsters learn a lot from them since they have been playing for a lot of years and have much better experience than us. We need to learn from them because we need to carry forward their legacy ahead in the coming years.' 'I look up to Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh a lot because they play the position I play in midfield. I like how calm and composed they are when they get the ball and progress the game ahead. Some things that they do on the field are truly inspiring,' the player added. Poovanna also spoke about his experience training under coach Craig Fulton. 'I'm training under him right now, and he's really good. He's easy to approach and you can ask him whatever you want, and he gives you clear answers. Whenever we train, if someone does something wrong, he stops the game and he teaches them, which helps us a lot and gives a very valuable perspective,' he said. After missing out on the opportunity in February, Poovanna is determined to make his Indian senior team debut and solidify his position in the squad during the European leg of the FIH Pro League. 'The upcoming tournament is crucial for me and I will ensure I work on my shortcomings tirelessly and do my best with whatever chances I get,' he concluded on a strong note. (ANI)
