CHANDIGARH, JAN 29 :The Indian selectors — Ajit Pal Singh, Dhanraj Pillay, Zafar Iqbal and Ashok Kumar — today announced an 18-member squad which will take part in the Four-Nation Punjab Gold Cup Hockey Tournament being organised the Punjab Government at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here from January 31 to February 9. The Indian team will be led by drag flicker Sandeep Singh.
Midfielder Sardar Singh has been ruled out due as he is yet to fully recover from his hand injury. He was one of three players the ad hoc committee of the Indian Hockey Confederation had directed to report to Dr M S Dhillon (orthopaedics) of PGI in Chandigarh. Arjun Halappa and Ignace Tirkey were the other players on the injury list. Arjun Halappa and Ignace have been included in the Indian team after selection trials conducted this afternoon.
Besides the selectors, coach incharge Harendra Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Roneo James also attended the selectors meeting. The team was announced by chairman Ajit Pal Singh.
The team: Goalkeepers: Baljit Singh, Adrian D’Souza. Fullbacks: Dalip Tirky, Sandeep Singh, Raghu Nath. Midfielders: Gurbaj Singh, VS Vinay, Vikram Pillay, Prabhod Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey.
Forwards: Deepak Thakur, Prabhjot Singh, Shivedra Singh, Rajpal Singh, Arjun Halappa, Tushar Khandekar, SV Sunil, Bharat Chhikara.
Standbye: Bharat Chetri, Ajitesh Roy, Sadar Singh, Sarwan jit Singh, Hari Prashad, Ravi Paul.
Officials: Harindra Singh (coach incharge), Ramandeep Singh (coach), Romeo James (coach), Mithai MV (Trainder), Shrikant (physio) and Ashok Kumar (technical manager).