One cannot place the entire blame on the RCF forward line for not performing well enough in their 5-2 loss in their Super League tie on Wednesday. A major chunk of that responsibility lies on the broad shoulders of Kapil Bhojane,Maharashtra State Police's (MSP) goalkeeper on the day. Standing in goal for the first time this season,Bhojane's tall,well built and dominating figure,even without the padding,was a nuisance for the opposition attackers,and his performance won him the man-of-the-match award. Bhojane didn't hesitate in putting himself in the line of the ball even once and was willing to take some blows for his team. Serving as a police constable,he belongs to the Indian Reserve Battalion,Aurangabad. The 27-year-old is required to serve in naxal areas at least once,for a period of six months,every three years. "It's very dangerous there," he says. "There is no telling when there will be an attack,and so we have to be alert throughout. Even if we're not on duty at that point in time we have to stay cautious because we never know where the attack will be." During his stint in the stricken areas,Bhojane relies on the gym to maintain his fitness as he does not get to play hockey. Yet whenever he is off duty,he indulges in another goal: academics. Hailing from Aurangabad,the goalkeeper is a keen student. Having recently completed a Masters degree in Physical Education,he is now moving forward towards gaining a PhD in Sports. "Education is important for me," he says. "I was never an extrodinary student,but people started supporting me and then I got an 83% in my Bachelors degree. I want to make the most of the support I get and study as much as I can." As a boy,he fondly remembers getting introduced to the sport in 1997. "I used to watch the school (Holy Cross) team practice," he explains. "I realised that they did not have a goalkeeper. I tried out and got into the team." His entry into the sport wasn't as exciting as he would have hoped. "My parents wanted me to study and not play," he recalls. "But when I became ca ptain of the Maharashtra U-19 team and the University team,my name was published in the newspaper and they started supporting me." Since then,Bhojane has steadily moved up the ranks,winning two golds and a silver medal at the 2013 Maharashtra State Police Games played in Thane. Currently the third choice goalkeeper for the MSP team,Bhojane relishes every opportunity he gets to come to play in Mumbai. "The facilities available here make it an absolute pleasure to come here and play," he says. "It's an honour for me to play alongside some of the big names in hockey,and my team has always supported me in every step of the way." His appraisal of his teammates support was evident when his name was called as man-of-the-match. A huge roar of approval was generated from the dugout occupied by the men in purple jerseys,each taking their turn to congratulate the goalkeeper who was responsible for the large margin of victory. It enabled his side to steal in the Super League match. The state cops churned out a good,disciplined performance to script a well-deserved 5-2 victory over Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers (RCF).
