New Delhi, 7th July 2023: Hockey India on Friday announced the 24-member Indian Men’s Hockey Team that will participate in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation
~Ace defender Harmanpreet Singh to Captain the squad along with the experienced midfielder Hardik Singh as Vice Captain~
– International Tournament to be held in Terrasa, Spain from 25th to 30th July. India will play against England, Netherlands, and hosts Spain in the four-nation tournament which will serve as the preparatory event for the Indian team ahead of the much-awaited Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023, which will be followed by the crucial Hangzhou Asian Games 2023.
The team will continue to be led by ace dragflicker and defender Harmanpreet Singh and Vice Captained by the prolific midfielder Hardik Singh.
The goalkeeping department will be entrusted to the talented duo of Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran and Krishan Bahadur Pathak, while the defenders’ list includes Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sanjay. Also, defenders Varun Kumar and Nilam Sanjeep Xess, who missed the FIH Pro League matches in Belgium, have been named in the team.
Meanwhile, the midfield will be controlled by the energetic and dynamic players like Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Raj Kumar Pal. Moreover, Sumit and Nilakanta Sharma are back in the squad after missing the FIH Pro League matches in Belgium.
The forward line comprises the lethal attacking prowess of Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek, Pawan, Dilpreet Singh, Simranjeet Singh, and Karthi Selvam. These skilful and agile forwards possess the ability to score crucial goals, create scoring opportunities, and apply relentless pressure on the opponents’ defense.
Speaking on the team selection, Chief Coach Craig Fulton said, “We have carefully chosen a balanced squad that brings together experience and youthful energy. Our aim is to create a cohesive unit that can compete at the highest level.”
“The four-nation tournament in Spain will provide us with the perfect platform to fine-tune our strategies and test our skills against top-quality opposition. It will help us identify areas that need improvement, thus playing a vital role in our preparations for the Asian Champions Trophy and the Asian Games. We are confident that this exposure will enhance our performance and help us gear up for the challenges that lie ahead,” he added.
Indian Team:
Goalkepers
1. Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
2. Krishan Bahadur PathakDefenders
3. Jarmanpreet Singh
4. Nilam Sanjeep Xess
5. Manpreet Singh
6. Amit Rohidas
7. Harmanpreet Singh (C)
8. Varun Kumar
9. SanjayMidfielders
10. Hardik Singh (VC)
11. Vivek Sagar Prasad
12. Sumit
13. Nilakanta Sharma
14. Shamsher Singh
15. Rajkumar Pal
Forwards
16. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay
17. Mandeep Singh
18. Gurjant Singh
19. Sukhjeet Singh
20. Abhishek
21. Pawan
22. Dilpreet Singh
23. Simranjeet Singh
24. Karthi Selvam
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.
