Bengaluru: India on Friday named 10 Olympic debutants in its 16-member men’s hockey squad, which also features seasoned performers like PR Sreejesh and Manpreet Singh, for the Tokyo Games to be held from July 23 to August 8.
Amit Rohidas, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay are the 10 players who will make their Olympic debut in Tokyo.
Besides, the 16-member team also includes six seasoned campaigners like former skipper and goalkeeper Sreejesh, midfielder Manpreet, defenders Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Surender Kumar and forward Mandeep Singh.
These players were a part of the previous Olympic squad in Rio de Janeiro.
Veteran defender Birendra Lakra, who missed the 2016 Games due to a knee injury, has also been named in the side and is set to make his Olympic debut in Tokyo.
The team has only one goalkeeper in Sreejesh, which means promising Krishan Bahadur Pathak missed out on an Olympic berth despite being an integral part of the team in the lead up to the quadrennial Games.
The Olympic-bound Indian team has five defenders, five midfielders and as many forwards.
The notable absentees in the squad are strikers Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh, who were a part of the Rio Games team.
Even though Manpreet has been the captain of the side for sometime now, Hockey India hasn’t named the leader of the Tokyo-bound team but it is expected that the ace midfielder will be retained in the role.
The Indian men’s hockey team has a rich Olympic history having won the gold medal eight times in the past. But this time around, they will be looking to break their four-decade-long Olympic medal drought. India won their last of the eight Olympic gold medals way back in the 1980 Moscow Games.
The Indian men’s team has been clubbed along side defending champions Argentina, three-time world champions and current world no.1 Australia, New Zealand, Spain and hosts Japan in Pool A.
Our warriors who will fight for the prestigious at #Tokyo2020
Team India #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey pic.twitter.com/Hj2enQcZ1Y
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 18, 2021
Sqaud:
Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Birendra Lakra
Midfielders: Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit
Forwards: Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh.
Eight debutants in women’s hockey squad for Tokyo Olympics
India named eight Olympic debutants in its 16-member women’s hockey squad for the Tokyo Games. The squad includes eight experienced campaigners who last featured in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Indian women’s hockey team will be captained by star striker Rani Rampal in the quadrennial Games.
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The eight Olympic debutants include drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur, Udita, Nisha, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Lalremsiami, is the first player hailing from Mizoram in the team, and Salima Tete.
Tete had led the Indian team at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games at Buenos Aires to a silver medal performance. This will be the Indian women’s hockey team’s third appearance at the Olympic Games and their second consecutive outing, with previous appearances coming in 1980 and 2016.
This is the Indian Women’s Hockey Team for Olympics. I have high expectations from them. My best wishes!
Savita (Gk), Deep Grace, Nikki, Gurjit Kaur, Udita, Nisha, Neha, Sushila Chanu, Monika, Navjot, Salima Tete, Rani, Navneet, Lalremsiami, Vandana, Sharmila Devi. #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/Ut4e04hGHe— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 18, 2021
Squad:
GOALKEEPERS: Savita
DEFENDERS: Deep Grace Ekka, Nikki Pradhan, Gurjit Kaur, Udita.
MIDFIELDERS: Nisha, Neha, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Monika, Nanjot Kaur, Salima Tete.
FORWARDS: Rani, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya, Sharmila, Devi.
