Among them was Anand Gupte, whose father Nitin is originally from Pune but has been staying Down Under for almost 30 years, and he couldn\u2019t be happier having achieved his dream of finally playing for Australia, and that too in front of a massive crowd.
Making it even more special was the presence of his mother Rebekah, who came down from Canberra, and his paternal grandmother, who made the journey from Pune. \u201cIt was an amazing experience and fantastic atmosphere. It\u2019s a very prestigious team and it means a lot to me. I have worked very hard over the years to get here. It was an honour and privilege to be here,\u201d said Gupte during an interaction with the reporters after the match.
What made him even happier was that two of the other three debutants \u2013 Ben Staines and Davis Atkins \u2014 came from his city. \u201cYes, it was very special. Obviously, we were pretty inexperienced but everyone around us was very supportive. There was a bit of pressure but it\u2019s ok for a debut game,\u201d added the youngster, who started playing hockey with his brother and with a little inspiration from their mother.
\u201cMom used to play when she was young so when we were about 10 years old, we started playing the game. She was an influence but it was our interest,\u201d said Gupte.<\/p>\n
![\"Anand-Gupte-family-TOI\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/imgsize-23456,msid-98598423,width-600,resizemode-4\/98598423.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n(TOI Photo)<\/span>
Rebekah not only played the game but later also shifted to officiating matches. \u201cIt\u2019s a surreal moment to see him play against India. Very proud that he was able to make his debut in India,\u201d Rebekah said before Australia’s match against India on Sunday.
As for Anand\u2019s brother, Niranjan, he went on to play for the Australian Under 21 team and participated in Sultan of Johor Cup in 2018. Although Niranjan couldn\u2019t break into the senior side, he played a huge role in helping Anand become a better hockey player.
\u201cIt was always a friendly competition and we kept each other going. We pushed each other when we were younger and we had a lot of fun playing together. It was a very healthy environment to be in and it helped us become better hockey players,\u201d said Anand.
Keeping hockey aside, Anand has a Bachelor of Commerce\/Finance from Australian National University in 2020 and works at the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment in Perth.
As for the match against Germany, he had quite a good game and even got a chance to convert a penalty corner in the last quarter. But he couldn\u2019t get it past goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg, who put up a match-winning performance.
Anand will now hope to carry on his good show in the next matches and try to seal his place in the team ahead of the Olympics next year. It will be a mighty challenge but coach Colin Batch has been quite pleased with him. \u201cHe has fit in well and has got a good mentality. He will make mistakes as every new player does but he is a very resilient person and I expect him to do well,\u201d said Batch during a press conference ahead of the tournament.
Well, he has had a good start and now it\u2019s all about going forward and making it all worth it.<\/div>\n