Picture Credit: Twitter
Hockey India on Thursday, November 30 announced a 24-member strong lineup for the five-nations event, set to take place in Valencia, Spain. The five-nations tournament will be played in the European nation, starting from December 15 until December 22, 2023.
The Harmanpreet Singh-led side will face hosts, Spain, followed by a game against Germany, France and Belgium in the event, setting a preparatory stone ahead of the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Pro League. The 24-member squad has seen return for Akashdeep Singh, who missed the Asian Games, held earlier this year in Hangzhou, China. The squad also includes drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, along with star players like Amit Rohidas, Mandeep Singh, PR Sreejesh and many more.
Talking of the team selection for the five-nations event, Chief Coach, Craig Fulton said, “We are going with a well-balanced side with a good mix of youth and experience. The tournament provides us with a great platform to try out different things and adjust ourselves accordingly.” He further added that how the next few months are crucial seeing the 2024 Paris Olympics, adding, “We have a lot of games to play before the Paris 2024 Olympic, and it’s very important we follow a process and go step by step.”
India men's hockey squad for five-nations event
Goalkeepers: Suraj Karkera, PR Sreejesh, Krishan B Pathak
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas, Varun Kumar, Sumit, Sanjay, Nilam Sanjeep Xess
Midfielders: Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Yashdeep Siwach, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem
Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Karthi Selvam, Dilpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh.
