Hockey selectors to pick India squad over weekend

HI selectors Col Balbir Singh, BP Govinda, AB Subbaiah and Harbinder Singh, along with government observer Dilip Tirkey, will conduct selection trials on Saturday and Sunday to identify the 18 who will represent the country in the September 3-12 six-nation meet at Ordos, China.

Despite camp chief co-ordinator and assistant coach SS Grewal’s desire for the trials to be staged at MEG’s brand new turf, the trials will be held at SAI.  Grewal had also hinted earlier on Friday that the core group of 30 may be identified in the trials but HI Executive Director Anupam Gulati said the emphasis would be only on picking the team for the ACT.

“Our main focus on Saturday and Sunday will be to pick the 18 members for the ACT,” said Gulati.

“The job of identifying the core group will be done later. We’ve yet to decide whether we will be holding another round of trials or use the present one itself. The team will be announced next week.”

The 47 probables had a four-hour training session at MEG on Friday morning before leaving for SAI for strength and condition training. With the pitch at MEG very similar to the one at Ordos, the probables will play practice matches against local outfits next week, revealed Subbaiah.

Barring Tirkey, who is expected to arrive on Saturday morning, all the other selectors reached the City on Friday.