Hockey India on Monday named a strong 24-member Indian men’s hockey team for the next leg of the FIH Professional Hockey League
Posted on – Mon 15 May 23 at 2:44pm
Photo: IANS
New Delhi: Hockey India on Monday named a strong 24-member Indian men’s hockey team for the next leg of the European FIH Professional Hockey League starting May 26.
India’s unbeaten run against defending world champions Germany and Australia in their previous prestigious league at home has helped them move atop the standings. In Europe, they will be looking to continue their winning streak as they take on strong Belgium and England in London, before taking on the Netherlands and Argentina in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
It will be the team’s first appearance under newly appointed head coach Craig Fulton, while the squad will continue to be led by ace dragflicker and defender Harmanpreet Singh, with prolific midfielder Hardik Singh as vice-captain .
The team has goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak. He returned to the team after missing home games due to a wedding. PR Sreejesh will join him at the goalposts, while the back-roster includes five corner specialists in Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay and Mandeep Mor.
Manpreet Singh, once a central figure in the Indian midfield, will take on a new role, playing in the Indian defense alongside Sumit and Gurinder Singh.
The midfield will be led by vice-captain Hardik Singh along with Dilpreet Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Shamsher Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad. India’s forward line saw the return of Simranjeet Singh, who last represented India at the Asia Cup in Jakarta but had to return home due to injury problems. He will be joined by a combination of experienced and young forwards such as Abhishek, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, S Karthi, Gurjant Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Raj Kumar Pal and Mandeep Singh.
Speaking about team selection, head coach Craig Fulton said: “I’m delighted that we have selected teams for our upcoming Pro League games against Belgium, Holland, England and Argentina. We are currently ranked No. 4 in the world. “It reflects the team’s hard work and dedication after the World Cup. This game will be a great opportunity for us to compete with the top ranked teams and further improve our overall level. We look forward to the challenge and hope that in the professional league Get good grades.”
Indian men’s team:
Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, PR Sreejesh Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh (C), Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay, Mandeep Mor, Gurinder Singh Midfielders: Hardik Singh (VC), Dilpreet Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Shamsher Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad Forwards: Abhishek, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, S Karthi, Gurjant Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Mandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh
