Bengaluru: The year started on a painful note for Poovanna Chandura Boby. The Karnataka player suffered a facial injury while representing Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers against Soorma Hockey Club in the Hockey India League in Jan. Poovanna went under the knife shortly after and was out of action for two months.

The time away from the sport hurt his selection chances for the Indian team and also for the FIH Pro League. There's some salvation for the 22-year-old, who has earned a maiden call-up to the 24-member national team for the upcoming Tour of Australia. The four-match exposure tour, starting Aug 15 in Perth, provides an opportunity for the midfielder-turned-defender to showcase his skills against one of the strongest hockey nations in the world.

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Poovanna has his task cut out for the trip Down Under. The goal is to play good hockey and seal his spot in the 18-member Indian team for the Asia Cup, which starts on Aug 29 in Rajgir, Bihar. "It is my goal to earn a place in the Asia Cup squad," he told TOI at the Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru. "This tour (of Australia) is a really big thing for me in terms of selection. It all boils down to me, how I deliver on the pitch there.

I need to show what I can do on the field. I am excited. It also provides me an opportunity to assess myself, where I stand at this top level.

The present squad will be pruned for the continental event, which acts as a World Cup qualifier. Needless to say there's tough competition for spots in the Indian team. Poovanna, who hails from Kodagu, understands the situation, but remains positive. "There are a lot of quality players in the team and I am just 22 and I have a lot of room for improvement with age on my side. We have a lot of competition for every position now. Even if I fail to break into the Asia Cup side, I know I will be there for big competitions soon," he said.

Poovanna has climbed the rungs with strong performances from the junior level. Besides being a gold medal winning member of the Indian team, which won the Junior Asia Cup in 2023 in Oman, he has also featured in the 2023 Junior World Cup in Malaysia and the Indian 'A' teams.

"You need to evolve every day in the senior team. It is not difficult, but it will be a challenge. I need to find that consistency and constantly improve," said Poovanna.

The 22-year-old's performance graph has shown a steady climb. He'll look to keep it that way.