Captain Mandeep Mor on Sunday asserted that Indian team is well prepared for the Men’s Asian Hockey 5s World Cup Qualifier, set to take place from 29th August to 2nd September in Salalah, Oman.
Speaking before the team flew to Salalah, Oman ,he said “We have a solid squad and we have prepared well for the upcoming competition. All the teams are strong in this format, so it will be a tough tournament. But with a chance to qualify for the 2024 FIH Hockey 5s World Cup at stake, our team is hungry and determined to get positive results.”
India is placed in the Elite Pool along with Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Oman, and Bangladesh. India will open their campaign on , 29th August, against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the Challengers Pool consists of Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Afghanistan,
After their opening contest against Bangladesh, India will take on Oman and Pakistan on Wednesday, and then follow it up with matches against Malaysia and Japan on Thursday .
To earn one of the 16 available berths at the 2024 FIH Hockey 5s World Cup, India would have to earn at least a top-three finish in the upcoming tournament. Oman have already booked one of the berths from Asia, being the host nation.
Mohammed Raheel Mouseen is the vice Vice-Captain. Suraj Karkera has been named as the goalkeeper, and the defenders are Jugraj Singh, Dipsan Tirkey, and Mandeep Mor. Sukhvinder has been added to India’s defence line as a late replacement for Manjeet, who suffered an injury during a training session . Maninder Singh and Mohd. Raheel Mouseen have been named midfielder, while Pawan Rajbhar and Gurjot Singh will lead the attack.
Raheel Mouseen said, “We will not take any team lightly and we have studied all opponents thoroughly. We have planned our strategies accordingly. We are confident of a good showing in the tournament and our aim is to earn a direct qualification for the 2024 FIH Hockey 5s World Cup.”