On July 27, Hockey India announced the 20-member Indian junior men’s hockey team that will participate in the four Nations Tournament from August 18 to August 22 at Dusseldorf, Germany.
India will play against England, Spain, and hosts Germany in the tournament, which will be part of the team’s preparations for the all-important FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023, scheduled to be played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from December 5 to December 16. The team will be led by talismanic forwards Uttam Singh, as captain, and Boby Singh Dhami, as vice captain.
The goalkeeping department will be entrusted to the reliable duo of Mohith H S and Ranvijay Singh Yadav, while the defenders travelling to Germany are Sharda Nand Tiwari, Rohit, Amandeep Lakra, Amir Ali, Waribam Niraj Kumar Singh, and Yogember Rawat.
Meanwhile, the midfield will witness the presence of dynamic players like Poovanna C B, Vishnukant Singh, Rajinder Singh, Amandeep, Sunit Lakra, Chetan Sharma, and Amit Kumar Yadav.
In the forward department, the team consists of experienced players, namely, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Uttam Singh, and Sudeep Chirmako.
“We have been training hard in preparation for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 and have identified some areas of improvement. The 4 Nations Tournament is the perfect opportunity to see if our plans are feasible,” Hockey India quoted Indian men’s junior hockey team coach CR Kumar as saying.
“Encountering high-pressure match situations at the four Nations Tournament will help the team improve the composure of the team. This event will also serve as a crucial means to pinpoint areas of improvement. We believe that this tournament will set the bar for the performance of the team. This is our first exposure to European teams and playing against them will help to evaluate the team’s performance against these quality opponents,” he signed off.
