Forwards:
SV Sunil:
Another Indian player whose stock rose after London Olympics was SV Sunil. The astonishingly fast forward has shouldered the responsibility of keeping the forward line alive in the absence of experienced players like Shivendra Singh and Tushar Khandkar.
His constant terrorizing of opposition defense earned him the position of vice-captain of the Indian team for upcoming Rio Olympics.
Gurvinder Chandi:
Once compared to Gagan Ajit Singh, Gurvinder Chandi had an ordinary outing in London, scoring only one goal for India. Despite his mediocre performance in Olympics, Gurvinder Chandi was hot selling property of inaugural Hockey India League.
An ankle injury forced him to miss more than one and half year of hockey, he did make his comeback in Glasgow Commonwealth Games. He failed to find his form post return and was sidelined as he did not fit in the plans of new coach Oltmans but there are reports that he also one of the victims of hockey management politics.
Sarvanjit Singh:
A standby for the London Olympics, Sarvanjit has not played for Indian team since then and selectors haven’t even considered him for any tournament. He regularly features of his employers Punjab and Sind Bank, winning 52nd Nehru Cup after beating Punjab National Bank.
He was bought by Ranchi Rays for 2015-2016 but even there he failed to impress and got very little playing time
Shivendra Singh:
Shivendra Singh was another high profile player along with Sandeep Singh to be sacked from Indian team after disastrous London Olympics and has played just one tournament India’s jersey since then. He was selected to be a part of Jaypee Punjab Warriors squad in Hockey India League but a foot injury ended his campaign after scoring just 1 goal in 5 appearances.
He currently plays for his employers Air India and despite being 33 years of age, is better than most of India’s current forward line
Danish Mujtaba:
Forward turned midfielder Danish Mujtaba’s journey after London Olympics has been sort of a zig zag with him finding himself out of the side most often due to injuries. Despite being regularly injured Danish has made it to the squad for Rio Olympics based on his experience. His selection was some of a surprise for hockey fans as they did not expect him to be in the squad for the tournament.
Tushar Khandekar
Another big name to be sacked after London Olympics, Tushar Khandekar slowly moved from the role of a player to a coach. He started as a coach to junior Indian team but after the departure of Paul Van Ass, Tushar Khandkar was roped in as assistant coach of Indian men team and has earned a good name for himself in that role.
With him working under Roelant Oltmans, the team has won bronze in Hockey World League and Silver in recent Champions Trophy. Tushar tried also had a stint in Hockey India League but during season 1, but Oltmans convinced him to take the role of coach of junior Indian team before the start of season 2.
Dharamvir Singh:
After starting as a forward during London Olympics, Dharamvir Singh also became a midfielder and even playing as a full back couple of times. He worked well with SV Sunil and Gurbaj Singh in the right flank with is the consistent performance for the side but he missed the bus for Rio Olympics due to a back injury in the training camp before Champions Trophy. He is currently in the treatment room and is expected to start with light jogging after two weeks.
SK Uthappa:
Another player in the list of forwards turned midfielders, SK Uthappa went on to become Indian regular, formed a decent partnership in the left flank with Nikkin Thimmiah and Devinder Walmiki. A strong midfielder, he is one of the players who have good stick work and can take on the opposition defenders. He was awarded a place in the Indian team for Rio Olympics due to his consistent performance and a lot is expected from him in the tournament.
London Olympics turned out to be a boon for some players while the seniors had to relinquish their spot and allow the new players to take their position. With just 20 days to go for the Olympics, fans of India are hoping that unlike last time promises made to Indian hockey fans are kept by their beloved players and they finally end the wait of 36 years to win a medal in Olympics.
