Familiarity with course will help us in Royal Trophy: Jeev

Jeev will join compatriot Gaganjeet Bhullar, Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng, Japan's Ryo Ishikawa and Koumei Oda, China's top player Liang Wen-chong, US PGA full-time player from Korea Charlie Wi in an Asian team led by Naomichi Ozaki.

They will face a powerful European side led by Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie, the Swedish quartet of Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Peter Hanson and Alexander Noren, Englishman Simon Dyson, former Volvo Masters champion Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark and current European Order of Merit leader Pablo Martin from Spain.

But Jeev said the defending champions are up for the challenge.
"I played at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain in November which featured many of the world's top players and I feel very comfortable with the match play format. I am looking forward to a very competitive and exciting week in Thailand," he said.

"This will be my second time playing at the Royal Trophy. I am familiar with the golf course at Amata Spring and I enjoy playing in Thailand. I am very confident that our team will produce golf of great quality and that we will be ready for the Europeans. We will compete very hard to keep the Royal Trophy in Asia," Jeev said.

"The Europeans will certainly have a very strong team but we are representing the Asian Continent and we will play with the corresponding passion, dedication and determination," added the two-time Asian Order of Merit winner.

Jeev, however, conceded that the Europeans are hungry for revenge this time around and have put together a formidable side.

"There is no doubt the European players are eager for revenge after their 10-6 defeat at the 2009 Royal Trophy. As someone who plays regularly on the European Tour I know that defeat did not go down well, and they are sending a much stronger-looking team this time," he said.