National men’s chief coach Craig Fulton says it is the right time to rotate the squad and few senior players have been rested to manage workload.
It’s official. Punjab’s experienced mid-fielder Manpreet Singh has been rested for the upcoming FIH Men’s Pro League. Hockey India announced a core group of 33 players for the national camp on Thursday. The 32 years old International from Punjab, a member of India’s bronze winning team at Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, wasn’t among nine mid-fielders shortlisted for a week-long national camp starting February 1 in Rourkela, Odisha.
National chief men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton claims that few senior players have been rested to manage workload. “Post the Hero Hockey India League, we felt this was the right time to rotate the squad. We’ve rested a few senior players to manage workload, while rewarding performances from players who’ve earned their opportunity,” Fulton was quoted as saying by Hockey India. “The Pro League legs in Rourkela and Hobart are an important part of the selection process as we move towards finalising the World Cup and Asian Games squad.”
Will Manpreet Singh make a comeback for the World Cup and Asian Games? There were speculations that Manpreet Singh might not find a place in the national camp for upcoming international meets for several reasons, including lack of good performance.
There were also rumours that Manpreet Singh, former India skipper who has earned 411 international caps till date was on the verge of surpassing Dilip Tirkey’s record of 412 international caps. There are allegations that Tirkey, who is currently president of Hockey India, has played a role in Manpreet Singh’s omission from the camp.
The Rourkela camp will form part of the national team’s preparation for the upcoming FIH Men’s Pro League to be held from February 10 to 15. The competition will be held at Rourkela’s Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium.
The nine midfielders shortlisted for the camp are—Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Hardik Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Vishnu Kant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma and Rosan Kujur.
Promising goalkeeper Princedeep Singh, member of the junior world cup team that claimed bronze, has been included in the camp. The other goalkeepers are Pawan, Suraj Karkera and Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar.
Probables for senior national camp: Pawan, Suraj Karkera, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar, Princedeep Singh (goalkeepers), Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sumit, Poovanna Chandura Boby, Yashdeep Siwach, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Amandeep Lakra (defenders), Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Hardik Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Vishnu Kant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Rosan Kujur (midfielders), Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh, Uttam Singh, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Maninder Singh (forwards).
EOM
