Bengaluru: Hockey India has announced a 40-player core probable group for the upcoming Junior Men's National Coaching Camp, starting on June 16, at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Bengaluru.
This camp follows the Indian Junior Men's Team's European tour, where they played five matches from May 20 to May 29 against Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands club team Bredase Hockey Vereniging Push.
During the tour, India secured a 2-2 (4-2 SO) win against Belgium in their first game but lost 2-3 in the second match against the same opponent. They faced a narrow 5-4 defeat against Bredase Hockey Vereniging. Against Germany, India was defeated 2-3 in the first game but won 1-1 (3-1 SO) in the return match, which was also the final game of the tour.
The upcoming camp, led by Coach Janardhana C B and overseen by Hockey India's High Performance Director Herman Kruis, will run for 63 days, ending on August 18. The group includes five goalkeepers: Prince Deep Singh, Bikramjit Singh, Adarsh G, Ashwani Yadav and Ali Khan.
The forwards in the camp are Mohit Karma, Mohd. Zaid Khan, Mohd. Konain Dad, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Gurjot Singh, Prabhdeep Singh, Dilraj Singh, Arshdeep Singh, and Gursewak Singh.
Defenders include Sharda Nand Tiwari, Amir Ali, Manoj Yadav, Sukhvinder, Rohit, Yogember Rawat, Anmol Ekka, Prashant Barla, Akash Sorong, Sundaram Rajawat, Anand Y, and Talem Priyo Barta.
Midfielders who will be part of the camp are Bipin Billavara Ravi, Vachan H A, Ankit Pal, Rosan Kujur, Mukesh Toppo, Ritik Kujur, Thounaojam Ingalemba Luwang, Thokchom Kingson Singh, Ankush, Jeetpal, Chandan Yadav, Manmeet Singh, and Govind Nag.
Speaking about the upcoming camp, Coach Janardhana C B said, "This camp is crucial for our preparation for future international competitions. We have a talented group of players, and the intensive training sessions will help them reach their full potential. Our goal is to develop a cohesive and formidable team ready to take on any challenge." (with Agency inputs)