NEW DELHI: Hockey India on Thursday unveiled the 24-member men's national squad slated to participate in the upcoming five-nations tournament in Valencia, Spain. The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 15 to 22.
India are set to face hosts Spain, along with Germany, France and Belgium in the event, serving as a crucial preparatory event ahead of the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Pro League.
The selected 24-member squad comprises a blend of seasoned players and promising young talents, under the leadership of ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, who will be supported by Sumit and Amit Rohidas as his deputies for this tour.
The goalkeeping lineup welcomes the return of Suraj Karkera alongside regulars in the form of stalwart PR Sreejesh and his understudy Krishan B Pathak. The defensive unit, led by captain Harmanpreet, includes Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas, Varun Kumar, Sumit, Sanjay and Nilam Sanjeep Xess.
In the midfield, the team features seasoned players like Vivek Sagar Prasad and Nilakanta Sharma, alongside Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, as well as the emerging talents Yashdeep Siwach and Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem.
On the forward front, the team comprises Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Karthi Selvam, Dilpreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh, who missed the Asian Games.
Speaking on the team selection, the team's chief coach Craig Fulton said, "We are going with a well-balanced side with a good mix of youth and experience. The tournament provides us with a great platform to try out different things and adjust ourselves accordingly. It also provides the younger players with a great opportunity to showcase their talent and experience the pressure of facing the top teams in the world."
"The next seven months are very important for us. We have a lot of games to play before the Paris 2024 Olympics, and it's very important we follow a process and go step by step," he added.
