After thinking game was over, Varun Kumar back in drag race

CHANDIGARH: India's drag-flicker Varun Kumar has fought two demons-a shoulder injury sustained before the Olympic qualifier against Russia on October 28 and the debilitating thought that this might be the end of his career.
There was childlike enthusiasm in his voice while boarding the Bhubaneswar flight from Bengaluru to join the national coaching camp for next month's FIH Pro League tie against men's world champions Belgium."Fit hun poori tarah se (I am fully fit)," he told TOI on telephone. Squad's fittest player (regarded so by former Indian hockey coach Harender Singh) had lost heart when that strain in the right shoulder had turned out to be a more serious nerve injury.
He said: "Pehle to laga ki sab khatam ho gaya hai (A first, it seemed as though my world had collapsed). I never knew injury. When I first felt a pain in the shoulder during a running session, it seemed a small issue. But when I went to my kit bag and tried to pull out a hockey stick, I couldn't." He didn't cry doing even those labour jobs after school to save money for hockey gear but the injury left him sobbing in his room. He recollected: "I had dreadful thoughts, such as that was the end of career and lifting a hockey stick."
The 24-year-old found support in Indian coach and former Australian midfielder Graham Reid. Before the flying to Bengaluru, Reid came to his room and told him: "You better get fit, the team needs you." He kept in touch with Varun and monitored his rehabilitation closely. Reid would call him every second day to know the progress, which motivated Varun to regain his strength.
The road to comeback won't be easy for the defender. It goes through stiff competition from Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, and Amit Rohidas. "I won't lie, I am nervous and the competition is tough. I will stay positive and give it my best shot. I can't afford to slack in practice even for a second." said Varun, man behind India's Junior World Cup triumph in 2016.
The new challenges seem a cakewalk against the arduous test of pain he has passed. The route from India's villages to its hockey team is littered with shattered dreams. Varun, who comes from a Jalandhar village, has seen many predecessors break under the pressure. "Ek mahine tak utha nahi paya tha mai apna hockey stick (I was unable to lift the hockey stick for an entire month)," he said. "Now I have a second chance, and I will grab it."