Adarsh Mutagar: From the mud grounds of Gadag, emerges another hockey talent

Bengaluru: The Hockey India released a 40-member list for the Sub-junior men’s national camp on Monday. At No. 34 was Adarsh Govind Mutagar, the lone player from Karnataka to make it to the Indian preparatory camp from which the final squad will be picked for the Under-18 Asia Cup scheduled to be held in Kakamigahara in Japan from May 29 to June 6.

While the solitary presence of the 15-year-old fom the state was a sad reflection of the state's dwindling fortunes in the sport, Adarsh is experiencing butterflies in his stomach following his selection to the camp beginning on April 19 in Bhopal.  

“Well.. I am a bit scared,” the teen hesitantly admits when asked if he is nervous about making it to his first-ever national camp. 

“I don’t know anybody there. So my brother is accompanying me to drop me off. But I will go there and make friends,” he tells DH. 

The talent is obvious but the support from his family at every step is perhaps the reason behind the Gadag boy from a humble background making it this far. Coming from a family who live and breathe hockey, it was but natural for Adarsh to pick up a stick as a six-year-old. 

While his uncle Anil Mutagar, a former Karnataka player and now a coach, groomed Adarsh initially, his cousin Harish Mutagar -- junior India international, Karnataka captain and who was also a part of the Soorma Hockey Club at the Hockey India League (HIL) -- is someone Adarsh wishes to follow and emulate. 

Captaining Karnataka at the Sub-junior nationals that concluded last week in Rajgir, Bihar, Adarsh impressed the selectors with his performance despite his team failing to go past the Group B league phase. Playing as the centre-half, Adarsh turned out to be Karnataka’s highest goal-scorer with five strikes during their two wins, a draw and a defeat.

Donning the skipper’s role for the first time, Adarsh said that taking responsibility is a skill he learnt because of the hardships faced while growing up; he lost his father Govind three years ago due to health issues while his mother Sakamma is a daily-wage worker.

Now, with Adarsh's steady climb -- which took him from the mud grounds of Gadag to the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) sports hostel in Dharwad before landing on the hockey turf in Shantinagar, Bengaluru -- expectations from the youngster have swelled among his near and dear ones. 

“Anil kaka (uncle) has been a constant support. After I moved to DYES Dharwad as an 11-year-old, coach Chandrashekar took good care of me. After my father’s death, I barely went back home and stayed at the hostel. I moved to Bengaluru a year ago and my game has further improved under Vijay (Krishnan T) sir. Somebody has always helped me and I'm grateful to all of them. All the hard work and their belief in me is paying off,” says Adarsh. 

"Hockey changed my life for the better. I hope it will change Adrash's life too. Exactly a decade ago, I made it to the Sub-junior India camp. Hopefully, Adarsh will go beyond too," hopes cousin Harish, who was part of the Indian team that won the gold at the U-18 Asia Cup in 2016.