Chandura Poovanna, a 22-year-old midfielder hailing from Kodagu, has been selected to represent India in the upcoming Europe Tour, scheduled from July 8 to 20.
The India A men’s team will tour Europe this month, as Hockey India aims to strengthen the national team’s bench depth in preparation for a crucial 18 months leading up to next year’s Asian Games.
Poovanna, inspired by the Kodava Hockey Festival, began playing hockey in 5th grade and trained under coaches at St. Annes Virajpet, KALS Gonikoppa, and SAI Bengaluru. He has previously played for Junior India Team, winning gold at the 2023 Junior Asia Cup, gold (2022) and bronze (2023) at the Sultan of Johor Cup, and represented Bengal Tyres in the Hero Hockey India League.
Now making his official international debut, Poovanna says his dream is to play in the 2028 Olympics. He credits his coaches and early exposure through the Kodava Hockey Festival for his success.
Poovanna hails from Kandangala village, Virajpet taluk, and is employed with the CAG office in Chhattisgarh.
Rising Through the Ranks
His stint with the Junior India team took him to international events including a four-nation tournament in Germany, which helped hone his skills against world-class talent. Later, he got an opportunity to train in Bhopal, where he represented the Bhopal team. A turning point was when his team defeated the Indian Oil team in the Lakshmi Ammal Hockey Tournament, drawing national attention to his performance.
Poovanna was also called for the Indian training camp for the Asian Champions Trophy in China. There, he had a chance to observe senior players, understand higher-level strategies, and adapt to the pace of international hockey.
Poovanna has expressed concern about the decline in representation from Karnataka in national-level hockey due to the state team’s underperformance in recent tournaments.
