Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Varun Kumar views his selection in the India ‘A’ squad as an opportunity to rejoin the senior national team after being out of the side for over a year. “Missing out on the Paris Olympics was painful. I know I was in the reckoning to make the squad but now, I have left the past behind and ready to start fresh with this opportunity to play for India ‘A’,” said the defender and dragflicker, who also gained fame at the Junior World Cup in 2016. Varun last donned the Indian colours during the India vs Germany friendly match in New Delhi last year. However, his call-up to the India ‘A’ team ahead of the prestigious Asia Cup in August positions him well for a return to the senior side. “Certainly, my personal goal is to return to the senior team. But more important for me right now is to improve my game. Not having played a proper tour in over one-and-a-half years is a long time, and the game is constantly changing. The structure has changed and it has also become much faster. The way I am looking at it is to start fresh,” Varun explained. The India ‘A’ squad, led by Sanjay, will play two matches each against Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, along with one match each against England and Belgium. Starting on July 8, the matches will be held in Eindhoven and Amstelveen in the Netherlands, with the match against Belgium played in Antwerp. “Personally, for me, it has been a tough road back into the core probable group. The last 7-8 months I have worked a lot on my fitness, and also mentally, it has been extremely challenging. Returning to form has not been easy but I am really grateful to my family, teammates, and coaching staff who have stood by me during tough times and constantly kept motivating me,” Varun expressed. Speaking about his personal goals, Varun said, “We have been working quite hard in the camp over the past two months and I feel this is a great chance for players to test ourselves against the top teams of the world. Playing the European teams, who are preparing for the Euro Cup, will be quite exciting and challenging. It will be a learning experience for me and I know a good show here will count, especially with the Asia Cup coming up in India.” The India ‘A’ squad departs for Amsterdam tonight from Bengaluru. With IANS Inputs