IHF announces probables for Sydney

Chennai, May 12: The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), quite rightly, has decided against sending the National team abroad for international tournaments in the months before the Sydney Olympic Games. Rather, the team will be kept in India and probably play matches against Malaysia, Great Britain and a couple of other teams who have not qualified for the Games.

Meanwhile, coach Vasudevan Baskaran along with IHF president KPS Gill and Jothikumaran finalised the probables for the first pre-Olympic camp to be held in Bangalore from May 18. All the junior players now doing duty in the Asia Cup at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, have been included.

The probables: Goalkeepers: Jude Menezes (Mumbai), Devesh Chauhan (A-I Academy), Bharath Chetri (Centre of Excellence), Jagdish Ponnappa (IA), Edward Aloysis (PSB). Backs: Dilip Tirkey (IA), Dinesh Nayak (TN), Bikramjit Singh (Rlys), Lazrus Barla (IA), Len Iyappa (CoE), Kanwalpreet Singh (Pun). Mifielders: Baljit Singh Saini (PSB), Md Riaz (IA), Thirumalvalavan and Natarajan (TN), Samsul Shouk (UP), Arjun Hallappa (CoE), Sukhbir Singh Gill (BPCL), Ramandeep Singh (Pun), Bimal Lakra (IA), Paramjit Singh (Services). Forwards: Dhanraj Pillai (Mumbai), Sameer Dad, Mukesh Kumar (IA), Gagan Ajit Singh (BPCL), Prabhjot Singh, Deepak Thakkur (A-I Academy), Vipin Fernandez (CoE), Baljit Singh Dhillon (Pun), Senthil (TN), Harbajan Singh (BSF) and Inderjit Singh (Chd). Coaches: Vasudevan Baskaran, CR Kumar and Harinder Singh. Trainers: Ramesh and Saju Joseph (both SAI).

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