BHUBANESWAR 27-Dec-2015
Host Kalinga Lancers will meet Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the opening match of the 4th Coal India Hockey India League here Kalinga Stadium Hockey Stadium on January 18. The month-long league, featuring six franchisee-based city teams and consisting of star players from India and the rest of the world, will concluded with the final in Ranchi on February 21.
Kalinga Lancer will play their other four home matches against Dabang Mumbai (DM) on Jan 21, Delhi Wave Riders (DWR) on Feb 5, Jaypee Punjab Warriors (JPW) on Feb 7 and Ranchi Rays (RR) on Feb 8. Similarly, Kalinga Lancers will play their five away matches against UPW at Lucknow on Jan 25, RR at Ranchi Jan 28, DM at Mumbai on Jan 31, JPW at Chandigarh on Feb 15 and DWR at Delhi on Feb 17.
Kalinga Lancers have decided to retain the Indian troika of forwards Lalit Upadhyay, Devindar Sunil Walimiki and defender Gurjinder Singh for the coming two seasons of the Hockey India League and also retained young Australian talents striker Aran Zalewski and goalkeeper Andrew Charter for upcoming two seasons.
In the HIL auction Lancers crossed the $100,000 barrier in shelling out a tournament record $105,000 for German midfielder Mortiz Fuerste, significantly higher than the costliest Indian player Akashdeep Singh at $84,000.
KALINGA LANCERS TEAM: Defenders: Pardeep Mor, Amit Rohidas, Gurjinder Singh, Ananda Lakra, Mathew Wills, Matthew Dawson, Aran Zalewski. Mid-fielders: SK Uthappa, Dharamvir Singh, Devindra Sunil Walimik, Moritz Fuerste, Adam Dixon, Quirijn Caspers. Forwards: Andrew Charter, Abhinav Kumar Pandey (goalkeeper), Malak Singh, Stanil Victor Minz, Lalit Kumar Upadhya, Glenn Turner.
