BHUBANESWAR 27-Nov-2013 166
Odisha defender was Hockey India today announced and 18-member National team, including two from Odisha for the Hero Hockey Junior Men World Cup, scheduled to be held at Major Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi from December 6 to 15.
Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh will lead the team with Odisha defender Amit Rohidas as vice-captain. Other Odisha player to have been included in the team is goalkeeper Sushant Tirkey. Both Rohidas and Tirkey are products of Routkela-based Panposh Sports Hostel.
According to PSH coach Amulyananda Bihari, Rohidas has already played around 10 matches for the senior India team.
The tournament schedule is set with four pools of four teams followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, classification and medal matches. India is placed in Pool C with The Netherlands, Korea and Canada. Pool A will feature Germany, Pakistan, Belgium and Egypt, while Australia, Spain, Argentina and France are competing in Pool B. England, New Zealand, South Africa and Malaysia going head to head in Pool D.
India will open its campaign against The Netherlands on December 6, followed by Canada on December 7 and Korea on December 10. India had won the title of the Junior Men World Cup in 2001 when they defeated Argentina in the final held in Australia. India finished as runners-up in the fifth edition of the Junior Men World Cup held in England in 1997 when they lost to Australia in the final.
INDIAN TEAM:
Goalkeepers: Sushant Tirkey, Harjot Singh
Defenders: Gurjinder Singh, Amit Rohidas (vice-captain), Surender Kumar, Sukhmanjit Singh, Pardeep Mor, Kothajit Singh.
Mid-fielders: Manpreet Singh (captain), Satbir Singh, Harjit Singh, Imran Khan, Prabhdeep Singh.
Forwards: Malak Singh, Mandeep Singh, Talwinder Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh.
Officials: Gregg Clarke (Foreign coach), Baljit Singh Saini (coach), B J Kariappa (coach), Dave Staniforth (Goalkeeping coach), Matthew Eyles (Scientific advisor), Dr Anirban Mallick (Doctor), Gaurav Mehra (Physiotherapist), Dhananjay Mahadik (Video analyst), Arup Naskar (Masseur).
