I wanted to join Bollywood: Yuvraj Walmiki

Hockey star Yuvraj Walmiki has signed up for the upcoming season of Khatron Ke Khiladi. Yuvraj hopes the show puts him in the spotlight — something he has dreamt of since his childhood days. He says, “Being a Mumbai boy, I wanted to join Bollywood since I was a child. Later I took up hockey professionally. I’m 25 and I will retire in some years. So I want to be active; I want to take up ads and TV shows. I was inspired by Sagarika Ghatge of Chak De fame, she did well on the show last season.”

Speaking about why he chose a reality show like Khatron Ke Khiladi, he says, “I always wanted to begin with a show like this. Most people pay money to attempt these adventures like this but still don’t get a chance to try out as many as in the show. This is my chance to encounter my fears, if any. Luckily for me, there are no hockey tournaments till the end of December. The shoot will be over by then. So I have the best of both worlds.”

While Yuvraj is the only sportsperson among a bunch of TV actors, he reveals that the co-contestants have been making sure he’s comfortable. He says, “Tina Dutta, in particular, went out of her way to make me feel comfortable and cheered me saying we will have a blast in Argentina.”

Yuvraj hopes that since he has no phobia in particular, it would raise the chances of him performing well on the show. He says, “I have been playing hockey for the past 16 years as a professional in the Indian hockey team, so I’m not scared of injuries. I will get to know my fears after December 12 — when the shoot ends. I am not scared of heights or water. Whatever be the task, I will attempt it.”

Coming to sports, we ask him if he feels other sports in the country are sidelined due to cricket He says, “More than representing myself, I’m here on the show to represent hockey. Hockey is our national game but hamare logon ne cricket ko national game bana diya hain. When sports and entertainment come together, it interests audiences.”