“You only live once, but if you play hockey, once is enough,” reads the bio section on Yuvraj Walmiki’s social media handles.
It has been almost a decade since the former India international donned the blue jersey. Still, he continues to grind away in the domestic circuit, playing the game that propelled him from the slums of Mumbai to the national stage.
The 34-year-old showed glimpses of his predatorial instincts in front of the posts, as he struck the opening goal for Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) against Maharashtra in a group stage fixture of the All India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup 2024 held at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai.
Rising from humble origins in the bustling financial capital of the country, Yuvraj thrust himself onto the hockey field only to satisfy his desire to be featured in a newspaper, after seeing his close friend’s name in Mumbai’s Free Press Journal.
Despite not having the means to afford the playing equipment, he enrolled under Merzban ‘Bawa’ Patel, now a Dronacharya award-winning coach, who offered to train him for free.
What started as a fun activity, soon became a passion. Two decades later, the sport continues to be an integral part of not just Yuvraj’s life but also that of his younger brother Devinder who trudged in his elder brother’s footsteps to become a full international himself.
“Initially it was just for fun, to bunk classes. Slowly, gradually, hockey became a passion. Today, I can probably say for my brother and me, hockey is bread and butter. Whatever little name and fame we have achieved is through hockey,” Walmiki said in an exclusive conversation with Sportstar.
“Usually in Mumbai, people’s parents say dasvi tak padhai karo, peon ki naukri karo aur family sambhalo (Study till tenth grade, take up a peon’s job and take care of the family). They [his parents] just told me, ‘If you want to continue, continue’. That was the green signal,” he added.
The ‘Walmiki brothers’ as they would come to be called, played together for the country for the first time against France in the 2015 FIH World League Semifinals in Antwerp, with junior Walmiki even scoring a goal on debut.
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Anna’s unwavering support
Yuvraj credits his entire career to his hero, ‘Dhanraj Anna’ (Dhanraj Pillay). A young Yuvraj had little idea when chasing Pillay’s car on the sidelines of the Bombay Gold Cup in the hope of getting a hockey stick, that one day he would get the opportunity to rub shoulders with the great man.
“I think whatever I am today in hockey is only because of one person, Mr. Dhanraj Pillay. I had a dream to be coached by him but god was kind enough to allow me to play alongside him, even though he was not at his peak,” Yuvraj said with a wide smile.
“In school, they used to say, hockey mein ek hi jaadugar hai [hockey has only one magician], Dhanraj Pillay, ” he reminisced.
“The year 2003 was the first time he gave me a hockey stick and I have known him personally since then. Personally and professionally he has always been a supporter, from my family to my hockey life, everything,” the striker suggested.
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The incomplete story
Despite aggregating over 50 caps for the nation, Yuvraj has one regret, never making it to the Summer Olympics. The forward missed London 2012 and Rio 2016 due to injury. But Yuvraj isn’t one to blame it on fate and move on.
“As a sports person, I have also made many mistakes considering that there is something called rehab and taking care of yourself,” he said. “I just want to tell all the youngsters that everyone in the world gets success, but success with the right guidance very few get. I was lacking that guidance.”
FILE PHOTO: India men’s hockey forward, Yuvraj Walmiki, inside his shanty in Marine Lines, Mumbai on September 14, 2011. | Photo Credit: VIVEK BENDRE/The Hindu
“I played so many games for the country, World Cup and everything, but the Olympics is the Olympics,” he added. “One thing that stands out when you’re an Olympian, they use it as a prefix to your name. That hits me every time,” he acknowledged.
With Devinder making the trip to Rio in 2016, Yuvraj has made peace that there is at least one Olympian in the Walmiki household.
The road ahead
Since being dropped from the national team, Yuvraj has been the top scorer in the nationals on six occasions. But, a national call-up is something that the 34-year-old doesn’t envision anymore. He is instead taking up a multitude of other roles, including coach, selector and even a broadcast commentator.
The Walmiki brothers remain the last players from Maharashtra to represent India in a World Cup or Olympic campaign. Yuvraj attributes the fall in the number of national team representatives to the drop in the quality of school tournaments.
“When we were playing, we had these higher-competition school tournaments. There used to be a Mumbai School Sports Association tournament, but the standards have dropped with only three or four good teams now.” Yuvraj said.
“The grassroots have to be taken care of. Nowadays, rather than convincing the student, it is more important to convince the parent. There needs to be a change in mentality,” he opined.
The ‘Prince of Indian Hockey’, a moniker he earned as a translation of his name, has joined hands with his brother Devinder and commentator Siddharth Pandey in setting up an academy to develop the next batch of talent from the state. India international goalkeeper Suraj Karkera is also part of the setup.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have started the Champions Training Center (CTC) in Mumbai. Our sole motto is to get all the underprivileged kids to train with us,” the Railways captain said.
Within three years of setting up the academy, with the Mumbai Hockey Association providing the ground for free, the team has sent three players to the junior national camp, including Yuvraj’s RSPB teammate Darshan Gawkar.
Yuvraj hopes he can help restore the Mumbai hockey legacy and says giving back to hockey is a duty he must undertake.
“I have a dream that deep down the line, in 2032 or 2036, we will have at least two players in the national team,” he predicts.
Another lingering aspiration remains for Yuvraj – playing in the revamped Hockey India League. The forward had achieved great success playing for the Delhi Waveriders, winning three medals during the first installation of the event.
“I’m doing my part, running from this ‘D’ to that ‘D’. I am keeping myself very fit. I have maintained that discipline for the last eight months,” Yuvraj said.
“Even now, the goals are still coming. The only thing I have to do a lot more of is my fitness, That’s my only aim,” he added.
‘ Apni kahaani hai, ending change kar lenge’ (It’s my story, I’ll change the ending) reads a caption in one of Yuvraj’s Instagram posts and that is what the Mumbaikar hopes to do to sign off on a high.
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