Hockey India on Thursday named a 24-member team to be led by ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh for the 5 Nations Tournament Valencia scheduled to be held from 15th to 22nd December in Valencia, Spain.
India will play against hosts Spain, Germany, France and Belgium in the tournament, which will serve as the preparatory event ahead of the FIH Pro League games.
After the team announcement, 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. It also provides the younger players with a great opportunity to showcase their talent and experience the pressure of facing the top teams in the world.”
“The next seven months are very important for us, we have a lot of games to play before the Paris 4 Olympics, and it’s very important we follow a process and go step-by-step,” he added.
The squad is a mix of experienced and young faces, Sumit and Amit Rohidas have been named as Harman’s deputies for this tour.
The goalkeeping department will see the return of Suraj Karkera to the squad, along with regular features PR Sreejesh and Krishan B Pathak. In defence, Captain Harmanpreet Singh will lead the charge alongside Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas, Varun Kumar, Sumit, Sanjay and Nilam Sanjeep Xess.
The midfield features Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, and young faces like Yashdeep Siwach and Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem.
The forward line comprises Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Karthi Selvam, Dilpreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh.