Ace drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh will captain India's 18-man national hockey squad in the FIH Hockey Men's World Cup, which will be contested in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela next month. Amit Rohidas has been chosen team vice-captain.
The final camp included 33 probables, and Hockey India confirmed the team on Friday following two days of national selection trials at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus in Bengaluru. India is grouped in pool D with England, Spain and Wales.
“A home World Cup puts extra pressure. Every country chooses the best team they believe is available to them at the time and tries to provide best preparation they can,” chief coach Graham Reid said.
The head coach also stressed the significance of a great training time leading up to the World Cup, which included a home Pro League series and a difficult tour to Australia.
“We are looking forward to getting to Odisha and put the finishing touches to our preparations for what will be an exciting and challenging tournament ahead,” Reid added.
India's World Cup squad for 2023 includes seasoned goalkeepers PR Sreejesh and Krishan B Pathak, while the defensive unit will feature captain Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Surender Kumar, Varun Kumar, Jarmanpreet Singh, and Nilam Sanjeep Xess.
Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, and Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh, all younggsters, have also been chosen. Rajkumar Pal and Jugraj Singh have been named as alternates for Hockey India.
India will open their World Cup campaign against Spain on January 13 in Rourkela, followed by a match against England in group D. The Indian squad will travel to Bhubaneswar to face Wales in their third pool encounter.
India's squad for 2023 Hockey World Cup
Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Amit Rohidas (Vice Captain), Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Varun Kumar, Nilam Sanjeep Xess.
Midfielders: Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh
Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh.
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