Indian hockey team announces squad for 5 Nations Tournament 2023 in Valencia
Hockey India has named a 24-man squad on Thursday, November 30, for the 5 Nations Tournament 2023. The tournament is scheduled to take place between December 15 and 22 in Valencia, Spain.
The five nations participating in the tournament in Valencia are hosts Spain, India, Germany, France, and Belgium. The tournament will help the teams prepare ahead of the upcoming edition of the FIH Men's Pro League.
Harmanpreet Singh will continue to lead the Indian side at the Nations Tournament in Valencia. Meanwhile, chief coach Craig Fulton has named Amit Rohidas and Sumit as the vice-captains for the event.
The team consists of a mixture of young and experienced players. The tournament will help them work on their weaknesses and build a strong team to compete at the FIH Men's Pro League next year.
Speaking on the team selection, Craig Fulton was quoted as saying in a press release:
"We are going with a well-balanced side with a good mix of youth and experience. The tournament provides us with a great platform to try out different things and adjust ourselves accordingly. It also provides the younger players with a great opportunity to showcase their talent and experience the pressure of facing the top teams in the world."
"The next seven months are very important for us, we have a lot of games to play before the Paris 2024 Olympics, and it's very important we follow a process and go step-by-step," he added.
Tamil Nadu star player Karthi Selvam, who didn't make it to the Asian Games 2023 squad, has been recalled for the 5 National Tournament. He last played against Malaysia in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in front of his home crowd in Chennai.
Indian squad for 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023
Here is the Indian National Hockey Team's squad for the 5 Nations Tournament Valencia 2023:
Goalkeepers: Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, and Suraj Karkera.
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas (VC), Harmanpreet Singh (C), Varun Kumar, Sumit (VC), Sanjay, and Nilam Sanjeep Xess.
Midfielders: Yashdeep Siwach, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, and Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem
Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Karthi Selvam, Dilpreet Singh, and Akashdeep Singh.