Dribbling past anxiety, Devindar Walmiki eyes homestretch

MUMBAI: In more certain times, Devindar Walmiki would have completed his training drills on Thursday afternoon and would be eagerly awaiting his club HGC's fixtures over the coming weekend in the Dutch hockey league.
But today we are living in times bereft of predictability, a consequence that saw the 27-year-old last step onto the pitch on March 12 in the town of Wassenaar.The municipality that borders The Hague in the Netherlands has been under lockdown for four weeks in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 and people's movements have been thoroughly restricted.
"I came back to the club on February 20 for the remainder of the league and since games are played only on weekends, we managed to complete only two matches before the government ordered a lockdown," Walmiki told TOI from Wassenaar.

His contract with the club runs till July and any further course of action will be possible only when the lockdown and international travel restrictions are lifted. "The government here has announced the lockdown at least till April 28. Belgium have already announced the cancellation of their league, so let's see what the organisers do here," says the Olympian, who hails from Mumbai, and is the brother of another former India player, Yuvraj Walmiki.
Walmiki has Harjeet Singh, the captain of India's 2016 junior World Cup winning side, for company there and the duo stays in the same building block along with players from France, Japan, Argentina, Australia and a few local Dutch players.
"Thankfully, here people have shown a lot of discipline in following whatever instructions are issued by authorities, so we have not faced problems as such. A few supermarkets are open for our daily needs. But it is natural to feel anxious and want to return to your country and be with family," says Walmiki.
So how has he been spending time, given that no play is possible? "We have been allotted spacious rooms. What's more, there's a vacant room in the building that has a few gym equipment. We spend some time there and follow instructions that are handed over to us by our coaches who monitor our training virtually.
"Also, I like to cook meals and write notes in my diary every day. That's a habit I have maintained for a long time. Harjeet is not good at cooking so I prepare different meals and we share them." While players from different countries are still stranded with little to do, the player from Japan was lucky to return home.
Walmiki is also happy with the support the Indians have received from the embassy in The Netherlands. "We have been in touch with the Indian embassy and they have been very cooperative. Luckily, the ambassador is an avid sports fan and has also come to watch our matches. So I know him. We have been instructed to wait patiently and they will make arrangements for those who want to return to India as and when things improve."
Back home, Walmiki's family is worried about his well-being and is in regular touch with him. "His mother makes at least four video calls to check on him every day just to ensure he is fine," says Yuvraj, adding: "These are difficult times for everyone so it's understandable."