New Delhi, 27th July 2023: Hockey India announced the 20-member Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team that will participate in the 4 Nations Tournament from 18th to 22nd August at Dusseldorf, Germany. India will play against England, Spain, and hosts Germany in the tournament, which will be part of the team’s preparations for the all-important FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023, scheduled to be played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 5th December to 16th December 2023.
The team will be led by talismanic forwards Uttam Singh, as Captain, and Boby Singh Dhami, as Vice Captain.
The goalkeeping department will be entrusted to the reliable duo of Mohith H S and Ranvijay Singh Yadav, while the defenders travelling to Germany are Sharda Nand Tiwari, Rohit, Amandeep Lakra, Amir Ali, Waribam Niraj Kumar Singh, and Yogember Rawat.
Meanwhile, the midfield will witness the presence of dynamic players like Poovanna C B, Vishnukant Singh, Rajinder Singh, Amandeep, Sunit Lakra, Chetan Sharma, and Amit Kumar Yadav.
In the forward department, the team consists of experienced players, namely, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Uttam Singh, and Sudeep Chirmako.
Speaking on the tour, Indian Men’s Junior Hockey Team Coach CR Kumar said, “We have been training hard in preparation for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 and have identified some areas of improvement. The 4 Nations Tournament is the perfect opportunity to see if our plans are feasible.”
“Encountering high-pressure match situations at the 4 Nations Tournament will help the team improve the composure of the team. This event will also serve as a crucial means to pinpoint areas of improvement. We believe that this tournament will set the bar for the performance of the team. This is our first exposure to European teams and playing against them will help to evaluate the team’s performance against these quality opponents,” he signed off.
Indian Team:
GOALKEEPERS
1. Mohith H S
2. Ranvijay Singh Yadav
DEFENDERS
3. Sharda Nand Tiwari
4. Rohit
5. Amandeep Lakra
6. Amir Ali
7. Waribam Niraj Kumar Singh
8. Yogember Rawat
MIDFIELDERS
9. Poovanna C B
10. Vishnukant Singh
11. Rajinder Singh
12. Amandeep
13. Sunit Lakra
14. Chetan Sharma
15. Amit Kumar Yadav
FORWARDS
16. Araijeet Singh Hundal
17. Angad Bir Singh
18. Boby Singh Dhami (VC)
19. Uttam Singh (C)
20. Sudeep Chirmako
HOCKEY INDIA TEAM PARTNERS
Odisha (India’s Best Kept Secret) – Major Team Partner
Sports Authority of India (SAI)
Shiv Naresh
About HOCKEY INDIA
HOCKEY INDIA (HI) is the governing body with exclusive mandate to direct and conduct all activities for both men and women’s hockey in India. It is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India as the sole body responsible towards promoting Hockey in India.
Headquartered in New Delhi, Hockey India was established on 20th May, 2009 and is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).
Committed to the development of Hockey in the country, Hockey India with the assistance of Sports Authority of India and Department of Sports, Government of India, trains players at sub-junior, junior and senior level. The governing body engages in Coaching the coaches with International Standard certification programs, educates and equips technical officials and umpires to find a foothold in international arena, provides world-class infrastructure and International exposure for the players besides regular international competition. Hockey India has also pioneered in bringing top International hockey events to India such as the FIH Men’s World Cup in 2010 and 2018, FIH Champions Trophy in 2014, FIH Junior Men’s World Cup in 2016 and 2021, FIH Hockey World League Final in 2017. With its vision to popularize the game and constantly promote it, Hockey India brought the Indian Men’s Hockey Team into the top three in the world. Hockey India is also dedicated to getting the Indian Women’s Hockey Team into the top three in the world.
About ODISHA
Odisha – the Eastern State of India – is known for its love for Hockey and over the years it has evolved to be the Global Hub of Hockey. The State successfully hosted the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, followed by the FIH Men’s Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha, FIH Olympic Qualifiers Odisha, and FIH Hockey Pro League 2020-21. Odisha has previously hosted the Champions Trophy 2014 and the Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017. Odisha also hosted the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup in 2021.
Kalinga Lancers, the team owned by the State, were the winners in the Hockey India League 2017. Taking a step further towards realising the dream of restoring the glory of Indian Hockey at the global level, the State is sponsoring the Indian Hockey Teams till 2033.
Odisha also hosted the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
