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For Walmiki brothers, the journey together has just begun

Devinder Walmiki, who debuted for India in the HWL Semifinals says his elder brother Yuvraj's words of advice helped him ease the pressure

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Devinder Walmiki (right) says standing next to elder brother Yuvraj in the first game of the Hockey World League Semifinals gave him goosebumps
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In the coming years, India's 3-2 win against France in the recently-concluded Hockey World League Semifinals might be forgotten, but it will be etched forever in the minds of two young men.

The Walmiki brothers —Yuvraj and Devinder — played together on the international stage for the first time. Big brother Yuvraj may not have had the proverbial butterflies in the stomach, but it was a first of sorts for debutant Devinder.

So what was going through their minds when they were living their childhood dream?

"Ahead of the first match against France, I was standing beside Yuvraj for the national anthem. It gave me goosebumps," Devinder told dna on Tuesday.

The Indian team, which finished fourth in the 10-team tournament, returned from Antwerp on Tuesday morning.

It was only on the eve of the match that Devinder knew of his selection. Striker Kothajit Singh got injured during training. Soon, coach Paul Van Ass called a meeting. He first announced Satbir Singh's selection. At that point, Devinder lost all hope. Seconds later, however, Van Ass announced: "I'm also taking Devinder."

"At that point, I was stunned," Devinder recalled. "But I didn't show my excitement. Once I got back to my room, I started jumping all alone."

His elder brother then visited him that night. "All he told me was to be calm, cool and enjoy the game the next day. He made sure I felt no pressure. That's the best thing about him; he is always there for me," said Devinder, who scored the team's second goal in his debut game.

Their bond was quite visible in the way their celebrated their respective goals with each other in India's 3-0 win in the next game over Poland.

"Once he scored that goal on debut, I knew he was going to do well in the tournament," Yuvraj said. The 25-year-old flew back to Mumbai where he shared his experience with aspiring kids at the Mumbai Hockey Association Stadium in Churchgate.

"It was always on the back of my mind that I wanted to play for India with my brother. But scoring a goal in the same match is what dreams are made of. I wish I could express myself more on the field at that moment, but we only get 40 seconds to celebrate."

Not surprisingly, the brothers celebrated in a similar manner. They called up their mother immediately after the game.

Yuvraj, who reached a personal milestone of earning 50 international caps in the game against Pakistan, made no qualms in admitting that his younger brother played better than him in the tournament.

"I'm very happy for Devinder. I'll be the first one to say that he played better than me in the tournament, though I was ruled after the game against Pakistan (due to an on-field injury). Devinder was the standout performer of the team."

And while the two hope to continue playing for the country together, there is one thing Yuvraj wants Devinder to learn.

"I told him to share his experiences with the kids as soon as he gets back home. I want to carry this practice forward. Just like how I inspired Devinder to play hockey, this will inspire many more kids."

Their journey together has just begun.

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