"Nothing Bigger Than This": Krishan Pathak's Emotional Homecoming Awaits

Back in the mix after a nine-month absence, Indian men's hockey team goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak says he has worked on every aspect of his game that needed improvement ahead of the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy. The 29-year-old last played for India on the tour of South Africa in December 2025. He was dropped from the squad alongside two other players for alleged indiscipline during the South Africa series. Pathak said he fine-tuned his goalkeeping skills in Bengaluru during this period, working hard for a return to the national team.

Pathak was named in India's 18-member squad, replacing Mohith HS, for the Asian Champions Trophy, which will be held from October 27 to November 5 in Jalandhar and Mohali.

The venue in Jalandhar, the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, is also home to the Surjit Hockey Academy, where Pathak learned the sport.

"What makes the occasion even bigger for me and others from the Surjit Hockey Academy is that we will be playing at the same ground where we learned the sport for seven years," Pathak said in a press release issued by Hockey India.

"I don't think there can be anything bigger than that."

Pathak, who has played 156 international matches, was understudy to the legendary PR Sreejesh, who retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

He now wants to make his experience count after working on areas that needed improvement during his time with India's development team in Bengaluru.

"Whatever the coach told me in terms of improvement, I worked on that while being here in Bengaluru with the development team. I believe I have done that and am now focused on this opportunity at the Asian Champions Trophy," said Pathak.

"We played matches against the Karnataka senior team in Bengaluru. But besides the matches and team training, we did extra goalkeeping sessions so that I could keep working on the areas I was told to improve," he added.

Defending champions India will begin the tournament against Bangladesh on October 27, followed by matches against China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2.

All league-stage matches will be played in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2, while Mohali will host the semi-finals and medal matches on November 4 and 5.

India enter the tournament as the most successful team in the competition's history, having won five titles in 2011, 2016, 2018 (joint winners), 2023 and 2024.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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