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Re-jigged Indian side for Asian Champions Trophy
Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will lead a re-jigged Indian side at the Asian Champions Trophy later this month as it looks to start afresh after the disappointing show at the Rio Olympics, Hockey India announced on Thursday.
Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh has been named as the deputy to Sreejesh in a team that has a handful of players making a comeback to the national setup.
Punjab defender Jasjit Singh Kular returns to the side after last featuring in the Hockey World League Finals in 2015 and he will be expected to double-up as drag flicker in place of V R Raghunath who misses out due to an elbow injury. Another regular fixture, Birendra Lakra, has been included and he will be hoping to make a strong comeback after a long injury lay-off that saw him miss the Rio Games.
“It was unfortunate that he was laid low by an injury at a crucial juncture. His comeback is good news for the team,” said skipper Sreejesh on Lakara’s return to the squad.
While the midfield remains unchanged from the one that featured in Rio, the forward line has three guys making a comeback. The trio of Talwinder Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Affan Yousuf have been brought in place of Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh.
While the Champions Trophy earlier this year was the last time Talwinder was seen playing for the national side, Upadhyay last featured in the New Zealand Test series a year ago. Yousuf, meanwhile, is making a comeback into the team after last featuring in the 2014 Hockey World League Finals. And the skipper believes that such a change was due as Indian hockey was getting into a new cycle with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as their target.
Squad: Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh (captain), Akash Chikte; Defenders: Rupinder Pal Singh, Pardeep Mor, Jasjit Singh Kular, Birendra Lakra, Kothajit Singh, Surender Kumar; Midfielders: Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, Manpreet Singh (vice-captain), Sardar Singh, SK Uthappa, Devindar Walmiki; Forwards: Talwinder Singh, S V Sunil, Lalit Upadhyay, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Affan Yousuf.
Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh has been named as the deputy to Sreejesh in a team that has a handful of players making a comeback to the national setup.
Punjab defender Jasjit Singh Kular returns to the side after last featuring in the Hockey World League Finals in 2015 and he will be expected to double-up as drag flicker in place of V R Raghunath who misses out due to an elbow injury. Another regular fixture, Birendra Lakra, has been included and he will be hoping to make a strong comeback after a long injury lay-off that saw him miss the Rio Games.
“It was unfortunate that he was laid low by an injury at a crucial juncture. His comeback is good news for the team,” said skipper Sreejesh on Lakara’s return to the squad.
While the midfield remains unchanged from the one that featured in Rio, the forward line has three guys making a comeback. The trio of Talwinder Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Affan Yousuf have been brought in place of Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh.
While the Champions Trophy earlier this year was the last time Talwinder was seen playing for the national side, Upadhyay last featured in the New Zealand Test series a year ago. Yousuf, meanwhile, is making a comeback into the team after last featuring in the 2014 Hockey World League Finals. And the skipper believes that such a change was due as Indian hockey was getting into a new cycle with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as their target.
Squad: Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh (captain), Akash Chikte; Defenders: Rupinder Pal Singh, Pardeep Mor, Jasjit Singh Kular, Birendra Lakra, Kothajit Singh, Surender Kumar; Midfielders: Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, Manpreet Singh (vice-captain), Sardar Singh, SK Uthappa, Devindar Walmiki; Forwards: Talwinder Singh, S V Sunil, Lalit Upadhyay, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Affan Yousuf.
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(Published 06 October 2016, 20:13 IST)
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