India to send full-strength hockey squad for Commonwealth Games

HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Hockey India (HI) on Monday named a fullstrength men’s squad for the Commonwealth Games after speculation that a second-string team could be sent for the July 28-August 8 event in Birmingham.

HI had decided against sending a team to CWG 2022 in October 2021 to focus on the Asian Games—which acts as a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In February, they reversed the decision when it was announced that the governing body will send a reserve team to Birmingham, making sure the main players are rested, ready and peak at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. However, the indefinite postponement of the September 10-25 Games due to rising Covid-19 cases in China changed the scenario.

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak; Defenders: Varun Kumar, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (vice-captain), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh; Midfielders: Manpreet Singh (captain), Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Nilakanta Sharma; Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek

Manpreet back as leader

Manpreet Singh, who guided India to the historic bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year, returns as captain after he handed over the duties to Amit Rohidas temporarily in the Pro League. Manpreet will lead an 18-member contingent at the University of Birmingham Hockey and Squash Centre. Drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh has been named his deputy.

The squad includes 14 players who were part of the squad at the Olympics.