Hockey India announces 39-member core group for national camp

Hockey India has unveiled the composition of the senior India men's core group of the upcoming national camp. This camp is scheduled to take place at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) between June 26 and July 19, 2023.

The elite group, consisting of 39 talented players will undergo stringent training during the camp. After that, they will be kick-starting their journey in Terrassa, Spain where they will be participating in a series of captivating matches.

India will first face off against England, followed by matches versus the Netherlands and the hosts in the much-awaited 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation International Tournament, which will span from July 25th to 30th.

Notably, the core group composes an array of potential athletes across various positions. While five talented goalkeepers have been added to the group, it also comprises 13 defenders and 12 midfielders. Nine talented midfielders complete the core group of 39 members. Here is the complete contingent:

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39-member core group for training camp

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Prashant Kumar Chauhan, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Pawan Malik and Suraj Karkera.

Defenders: Manjeet, Jugraj Singh, Mandeep Mor, Jarmanpreet Singh, Yashdeep Siwach, Sanjay, Surender Kumar, Varun Kumar, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Gurinder Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Dipsan Tirkey.

Midfielders: Mohd. Raheel Mouseen, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Gurjant Singh, Hardik Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Manpreet Singh, Maninder Singh, Shamsher Singh, Sumit, V Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Rajkumar Pal.

Forwards: Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Simranjeet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Pawan Rajbhar, S Karthi.

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Chief Coach optimistic to carry on shiny performances in big events

Upon announcement of the core group, Chief Coach Craig Fulton voiced satisfaction with the team's performance during the FIH Men's Hockey Pro League matches in Belgium and the Netherlands. He stated that the Men in blue are willing to carry on the momentum.

"We performed well in the FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2022/2023 matches in Belgium and the Netherlands, and now we hope to maintain some consistency, especially with important tournaments set to take place later this year," said Fulton.

He further added:

"The camp will be an opportunity for us to improve ourselves in certain areas and to work together as a unit once again. With the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023 set to take place in August, followed by the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, it is an important camp for us to begin our preparations for the upcoming months and to display the kind of hockey we wish to play."