Mujtaba named captain for Azlan
Experienced forward Danish Mujtaba was on Wednesday named captain of the Indian hockey team for the 22nd Sultan Azlan Shah Invitational Tournament even as senior drag-flicker Sandeep Singh was relegated to the stand-byes list for the March 6-17 event in Malaysia.
Hockey India selector Syed Ali, chief coach Michael Nobbs and exercise physiologist Jason Konrath along with government observer Harbinder Singh selected the list of 18 players and eight stand-bys on the basis of their recent performance in the ongoing Hero Hockey India League.
Sandeep, who is the top goal-scorer in the HIL, had been named a stand-by in the squad for the Hero Hockey World League Round 2 to be held here from February 18-24.
At the Azlan Shah, goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will be the vice-captain of the squad which has eight forwards, five mid-fielders and three defenders.
The squad: Goal-keepers: PR Sreejesh (vice-Captain), Sushant Tirkey.
Full-backs: Rupinderpal Singh, Harbir Singh, Gurjinder Singh.
Half-backs: Amit Rohidas, Gurmail Singh, Manpreet Singh, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, MB Aiyappa.
Forwards: Danish Mujtaba (captain), Nithin Thimmaiah, Satbir Singh, Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, Dharamvir Singh, Gurvinder Singh Chandi.
Stand-byes: Keshav Dutt (goalkeeper), Sandeep Singh (defender), Pardeep Mor (midfielder), Surender Kumar (midfielder), Malak Singh (forward), Imran Khan (forward), Amon Mirash Tirkey (forward), Siddarth Shanker (forward).
