Midfielder Manpreet Singh will lead India in the Sultan of Johor Cup junior men’s hockey tournament, it was announced here on Tuesday. The event will be a test for the young side, who are preparing for the Junior World Cup at home in December.
Striker Affan Yousef was named the vice-captain.
Said coach Baljeet Singh Saini, “It is not often that teams like Argentina, England or Korea send their full junior squads for a tournament. But the Johor Cup will be a perfect opportunity to test ourselves against them since everyone has the World Cup on mind and will be fielding strong teams.
“We have picked our best lot. We have included a few (junior) players from the senior Asia Cup team that returned yesterday, as we need some experience too.”
Mandeep Singh, Manpreet and Kothajit Singh were members of the Asia Cup team, while defender Gurjinder Singh will miss out with an elbow injury.
Promising midfielder Devindar Walmiki is the surprise inclusion though, but Saini said the team were picked purely on the basis on “current form and fitness”.
The six-nation tournament will feature Argentina, England, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Pakistan.
Team: Goalkeepers: Harjot Singh, Sushant Tirkey; Defenders: Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Kothajit Singh, Surender Kumar, Sukhmanjit Singh, Pardeep Mor; Midfielders: Manpreet Singh (captain), Prabhdeep Singh, Harjit Singh, Satbir Singh, Imran Khan; Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Amon Mirash Tirkey, Mohammad Amir Khan, Talwinder Singh, Affan Yousef (vice-captain)