The other Walmiki

For some he is Manoj. For many he is Mini. His friends in a foreign club where he spent three months call him Miki. And when you observe closely during matches, he is addressed Walmiki by his team mates. Names many; he is Walmiki bro, younger to Yuvraj Walmiki. The livewire midfielder who led Under -21 international tournament recently at Johor Bahru Devinder Walmiki.

The youngster from Mumbai is tall, in fact taller and fatter than new star in our horizon Yuvraj. Younger Walmiki is quick on feet, covers wide area on the ground, energetic, he is everywhere where action occurs.

He was captain there, the armband coming to him after originally selected Gurjinder Singh had to skip the tour on account of injury. He led the team against Korea after that the mantle on the field was given to each one of the members.

“That’s good sir, everyone gets the share”, he says with a smile that showcases his dimple.

Johor Bahru was second tour for Walmiki Jr. He was in the Indian Under-18 team that played the age group Asia Cup in Burma a year ago.

“That was my first tour, I enjoyed, the hotel and other things were exciting, similar to the one we have here”, he said sitting in the sprawling reception corridor of Puteri Pacific, that played host to all the six teams of Sultan of Johor Cup.

Walmiki owes everything to his elder. “Yuvi is everything for me sir. He introduced me to hockey, gave me sticks, shoes etc We both in turn are products of Bawa Sir. He is the man who spotted us, trained us, guided us, did everything for us, otherwise we had no history of sports”, Jr. Walmiki who has a gift of gab, recounts his history for the benefit of www.stick2hockey.com.

Walmikis’s are true brand of natural talent, played for school and college and were not through the normal route of Sports Schools or SAI Hostels. That is not a small achievement. Because, most of the talent that one comes across on the national scene, are either product of any Academy or Sports Schools, hugely funded by State Government or Sports Authority of India. Unaware of the significance of this aspect of his profile, he often lets you know, “We played a lot for my school and college”.

The turning point of course came when Dhanraj Pillay, who they call Anna, helped them to get into Air India stipend.

“First my elder brother joined, now am also an Air India’s stipend player. It is really big sir, to be in the company of big players of India who form this team”.

Another thrilling experience is getting to play in a German Club, TG Frankenthal. “
He owed lot of gratitude to Dr. Sunil Seth, a hockey lover based in United States and Indian defender Dhananjay Mahadik for this god send opportunity early in the career.

“Dhananjay played for the Club. He guided Yuvi to succeeded him. Then I was also taken in. That was a wonderful experience, everything there is different, played 7 to 8 matches, all in the week ends. In other days, lot off exercises, swimming, practice, life was wonderful. I also developed lot of friends. I was asked to play for another season too, but visa problem is there, and also Indian camps and training”, he narrates.

Even as we are surprised at the turn of events that led to his elder sibling raking his stars on the horizon what with a one-one-on goal in the finals of the Asian Champions Trophy, this Devinder catches eyes with his all around abilities.

He proved to be a livewire centre-half at Johor Bahru. He also showed his energy and enterprise on both circles, to create a penalty corner, or take a shot at goal, or trip a player who would have otherwise scored a goal in his own circle, or second rusher in the penalty corner defence, you would not have missed this Walmiki Jr at Johor Bahru.

“It is nice to see we defeat Pakistan, and then coming back into the tournament. Am all the more happy on this victory because we lost to them in my maiden tour, in Burma.

“I sincerely feel we would have gone up further, but were unlucky to lose the crucial Malaysia match. We were determined to do well so that we would move to final. But the match turned early on against us. We were punished for minor mistakes, and had to be numerically less on the field all the time. It’s not easy to win in that situation, sir”, the young heart reasons.

On personal level, he is not satisfied with his performance, that is perhaps the impression he conveys. He definitely feels some of his shots did not go in.

One hit the post, another was a bit off, in any other occasions, both would have gone in” recollects like a kid neighbourhood.

“We need to be restraint in our reaction to umpiring decisions, that seems to be lesson of Johor Bahru, the young leader takes something back home with this wisdom.

We probably will hear more about this hard working midfielder in the near future. But he adds: “There are two other cousins of me, with the same Walmiki surname. They are also good sir”.

So, the days are not far off like Pillays of Pune, and Dhillons of Punjab, we will hear many more Walkikis of Mumbai.

Till then we savour another rising star in the horizon, our Devinder, Walmiki Jr. as of now.

We sincerely hope shortly we will write another article, Other Walmikis