Hockey
Hockey India names 27-member Indian Men's Hockey Team for Australia Tour
The team led by Harmanpreet Singh and Vice Captained by Hardik Singh will take on the hosts in five-match series.
FILE PHOTO: The Indian men's hockey team players defending a penalty corner during a match at the FIH Pro League.
Hockey India on Monday named the 27-member Indian Men's Team for the upcoming Australia Tour with the first match starting on 6 April 2024 in Perth, Australia.
The Indian Team will be led by ace drag flicker and defender Harmanpreet Singh and vice-captained by midfielder Hardik Singh in the five-match tour which will be a litmus test for the team in their preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Chief Coach Craig Fulton has opted to go with the almost entire core group to give players an optimum chance to showcase their potential before the final 16-member team is selected for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
"This will be a very important tour for us as it will not only ascertain the level we are at and the areas we want to get better ahead of the Paris Olympics but this is also an important tournament for the players. We chose to go with the almost entire core group so that each player gets enough opportunity to showcase their full potential and also it is a good tour to test different combinations," expressed Fulton.
"Playing against a team like Australia who are one of the potential podium finishers in Paris will be challenging and at the same time an enriching experience for the level of competition they bring to the matches. It will be a good exposure trip and we are looking forward to it," he added.
The team will be playing matches starting 6th April, with their second match on 7th April followed by a match on 10th April, 12th and 13th April. The Indian team will leave from New Delhi on 1st April and will return on 15th April 2024.
Indian Men’s Hockey Team for Australia Tour:
GOALKEEPERS: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, PR Sreejesh, Suraj Karkera
DEFENDERS: Harmanpreet Singh (C), Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Amir Ali
MIDFIELDERS: Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh (VC), Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Vishnukant Singh
FORWARDS: Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen, Boby Singh Dhami, Araijeet Singh Hundal
