Hockey India named 18-member Indian Men’s Hockey Team for the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy scheduled to begin in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia in China from September 8 to September 17, 2024.
The tournament will see Asia’s top hockey-playing nations India, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Japan and hosts China vie for honours.
The defending Champions India will be led by ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh and will be supported by experienced midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad as the Vice Captain.
The team will feature Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera as the goalkeepers while the defence will see Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay and Sumit in action.
Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Manpreet Singh, and Mohd. Raheel will form the midfield, while a young forward line will lead the attack, featuring Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Uttam Singh, and debutant Gurjot Singh.
The team composition has been carefully picked, to ensure experience and youth. Ten players from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Bronze medal feat are part of this squad while five players including Hardik Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Shamsher Singh and Gurjant Singh have been rested for this tournament.
“This is an important campaign for us to ensure we build on our ranking points. The team has just returned to the camp after all the celebrations following our performance in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The past few weeks have truly been incredible with all the love and adulation for the team and we hope this support will continue all through our future campaigns,” expressed Chief Coach Craig Fulton.
“The new Olympic cycle for us begins with the Asian Champions Trophy and we are ready for the challenge. While we have rested a few players from the squad that played in Paris, we have brought in a few youngsters who have done well in training and have earned the opportunity to play in Asian Champions Trophy. We will have Gurjot making his international debut, and I believe this is a great opportunity for youngsters who have received a call-up to shine. As a team, we want to continue to dominate in the Asian continent and we will go to China to retain the title,” asserted Fulton.
The Indian team will begin its campaign on September 8 with its first match against China, followed by its match against Japan on 9th. Following a day’s rest, the Men in Blue will take on Malaysia on 11th and play Korea on September 12. After a day’s break, India will take on nemesis Pakistan on 14th while the semifinal and final will be held on the 16th and September 17 respectively.
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