'Over the moon' Canberran Kookaburras get Olympic opportunity in upcoming series in Hobart and India

Anand Gupte, Davis Atkin and Ben Staines are the Canberra Chill players who have been called into the 20-man Kookaburras squad for next month's FIH Pro League series in Rourkela against India and the current world champions Germany, from March 10-15.

Before the trio debut together in India, starting Tuesday another 20-man Kookaburras team will face Argentina and Spain in Hobart in a series running till March 5.

That's two full squads all putting their hand up for Olympic selection, with Kookaburras head coach Colin Batch revealing he's not afraid to shake things up after a disappointing fourth-place finish at the World Cup last month.

That screams "opportunity" for the likes of Gupte who was a rising star before injuries led to him nearly abandoning his hockey dreams.

"It's made all those challenging times worth it," Gupte said.

"I'm over the moon to be selected in this squad. It's a lot of work to get there, so it's really nice to be given the opportunity to prove myself.

"I've got a mix a mixture of emotions, a bit nervous, but more excited and just really keen to give it a good a crack."

Gupte put his name back on the map with strong performances in 2021 which got him into the Kookaburras development squad.

That sparked more motivation within the 24-year-old, and with his partner last year they relocated to Perth to be closer to Australia's high performance hockey base.

"It's a big move, going away from friends from family, but coming up to a year in Perth now I've made some really good connections, networks and friends, and feel really well settled here," Gupte said.

Greater exposure to coaches and the chance to train closely with other Kookaburras elevated Gupte's game further, as seen in a standout season in the Hockey One League with the Chill.

Now he's on the precipice of wearing the green and gold, and perhaps even an Olympics.

"It's a good reward for the Hockey One season and performances in the Hockey Australia A team tour last year Japan, and being able to train with the Kookaburras. Things like that add up," Gupte said.

"The Olympics are on the horizon, but for me at the moment, it's always just a matter of what am I doing now and to try to concentrate on the here and now.

"I'm just focusing on this at the moment, and then what happens next, who knows."

The series in Rourkela next month will be memorable for Gupte, not only because it will be the first time in Hockey ACT history that three products of the region will debut for the Kookaburras in the same event, but also because of Gupte's family ties to India.

"It's fantastic to go over to India. My dad is originally from India, so I've got family over there, and it's really, really special to be able to go there and make my debut in front of them," he said.

"India is also a very passionate hockey sporting nation, so I expect there'll be some very large crowds, which will just make the moment even more special."

Kookaburras goalkeeper from the ACT Andrew Charter is not featured in either Australian squad for the upcoming FIH Pro League events, as he is on his honeymoon abroad.

In addition to the Kookaburras playing in Hobart, as part of the first series the Hockeyroos will play before and after their matches in double-headers on the same nights.

FIH Pro League in Hobart

Australia v Argentina - Feburary 28, 7.10pm

Australia v Spain - March 1, 7.10pm

Australia v Argentina - March 3, 5.10pm

Australia v Spain - March 4, 5.10pm

FIH Pro League in Rourkela (all matches 12.30am)

Australia v Germany - 11 March

India v Australia - 12 March

Australia v Germany - 14 March

India v Australia - 15 March