Devender Walmiki enters the drag race for Marines

VV Anand:

MUMBAI: One of the biggest weapons in modern hockey finds no practitioners in the Mumbai Marines outfit in the World Series Hockey. The Marines take on Sher-e-Punjab in a WSH match at the MHA Mahindra Stadium on Wednesday with virtually no drag-flicker in the ranks.

So what do they do — create a drag-flicker out of the ranks. Devender Walmiki has been undergoing training to do what is essentially a specialists’ job.

“We missed out on two drag-flickers in the first round of draft,” said team captain Adrian D’Souza. “But we have done reasonably well in our matches without variations,” says Adrian.

Necessity is the mother of invention and not surprisingly, Mumbai have been trying to groom Devender Walmiki. “Coach Andrew Meredith and the team has been trying to train him. He is also working hard on converting penalty corners.”

Adrian feels the lack of a specialist drag-flicker gives the team a chance to groom one and it provides for a pleasant surprise. “If by the end of the league, Devender is ready, it not only bodes well for Mumbai Marines, it could also benefit Indian hockey.”

Despite the lack of a specialist, Marines have done well and stand fourth in the table with three victories from six games and one draw. Their opponents for Wednesday, Shers are one spot ahead in the table.

Devender himself feels good about the fact that the coach chose him for the task. “He has been very helpful and encouraging. He trained me for five days and by the third game in the WSH, I scored from a direct hit,” says the midfielder.

“Hopefully, my success rate will increase by the end of the WSH,” he says.

Devender is excited by his new status. “I would definitely try and keep up the practice. I have not reached anywhere close to the levels of training that the classical drag flicker does. The likes of Sandeep Singh or V R Raghunath put in 100 to 150 hits everyday. I am just learning the first few lessons.”

He is also excited that it adds to his skills. “It adds another dimension to my game, I can have a new calling card,” says Devender.