MALAYSIAN goalkeeper S. Kumar, a wizard with both feet, will turn up for Utter Pradesh Wizards in the Hockey India League starting on Jan 16.
He will be making history of sorts for he will be the first goalkeeper from Malaysia to play in a foreign league when he turns out for a Lucknow-based team which also holds one of the highest paid marquee players of the tournament, Teun de Nooijer from Netherlands.
However, the Malaysian No 1, as well as Asian No 1 goalkeeper ended up playing hockey by chance, not craft.
For in 1994 when he was studying at the Tunku Besar Secondary School, he was training with the school football team when he was approached by the late V. Sivapatha sundram to give hockey a try, as a goalkeeper, since he could kick with both feet.
Kumar was assured by Siva that he only had to be the reserve keeper for the school team, but little did he know that his whole life will change after that.
Not only did he end up as the first choice keeper, but he went on to represent the national team, making his debut at the 1999 Sea Games in Brunei.
He now has 203 caps, played in two World Cup Qualifiers (2006 China and 2009 Invercargil) besides three Olympi Qualifiers (2004 Madrid, 2008 Japan and 2012 Dublin) but never once played in the actual events as Malaysia failed to qualify.
UP Wizards will be coached Roelant Oltmans and the technical director of the team is Dhanraj Pillay, the former Indian captain who played in the Malaysian Hockey League.
The team has two goal keepers from the international circuit in George Bazeley from Australia, Kumar, and one from India, Sreenivasa R. Katharu.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think of this moment, that I will be auctioned and be part of the HIL,” said Kumar whose bid by the Wizards was US15,000.
Malaysiann striker Faizal Saari was bought by Mumbai Magicians for US25,000.
Hockey India League used a unique system where teams have to bid during a ‘playe auction’ to rope in the best.
“It is not only a personal honour but one for the country as well for I had to compete with well known custodians from all over the world. And to think that I was picked over some household names in goalkeeping has further boosted my confidence.
“It will be a totally new experience for me as I will be up against the world’s best players, what more playing in India, where hockey is amongst the most watched sport after cricket.
“This is a chance of a lifetime and I hope to fight for a place in the starting XI as it will be tough competing against Bazeley.”
Kumar owes much of his interest in hockey to his late father S. Subramaniuam who passed away when Kumar was representing the nation at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. And it was with the encouragement of his mother K. Sarasah that Kumar continued playing the sport.
Not many are aware the sacrifices that Kumar had to make as a parent, for he was in China for the 2010 Asian Games when his first son Varshan was born two years ago. And he could only spend hours beside his wife L. Parimalah and their second born Haarshenn before catching the flight to Am sterdam for a goalkeeper coaching stint in November last year.
“My family is very understanding and have been sup porting me. This month-long stint requires a lot of sacrifices and I am indebted to my wife for being able to manage the kids,” said Kumar who has won several accolades during his career as the best goalkeeper in many an international tournament.
Kumar feels that there is a wide gap between the senior and junior goalkeepers as both he and Ros;an Jamaluddin are in their 30's.
“It all boils down to match exposure. And one will not get that by sitting on the bench and waiting for their chance. Thus my advise to the keepers in the junior squad is to look for teams in the Malaysia Hockey League where they will get to play instead of warming the bench,” said Kumar.
