Men's hockey: Indian squad announced for Asian Champions Trophy
The Indian men's hockey team has unveiled an 18-member squad for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China, from September 8 to 17. Top Asian teams including India, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan and hosts China will be vying for the title. The newly announced Indian squad features a mix of fresh and experienced players who recently secured a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Harmanpreet Singh to lead India
Harmanpreet Singh, the successful drag-flicker from the Paris Games, will continue to lead the Indian team as captain in this tournament. Midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad has been appointed as vice-captain. The team is entering a new phase following the retirement of star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh after the Olympics. Goalkeeping responsibilities will now be shared between Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera during the competition.
India's defense and midfield line-up
The defense line-up for the Asian Champions Trophy includes seasoned players like Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay and Sumit. The midfield will be bolstered by Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Manpreet Singh and Mohd. Raheel. The forward line is relatively young with players such as Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal and Uttam Singh. Gurjot Singh is also set to make his national team debut in this tournament.
India's campaign begins on September 8
India's campaign in the Asian Champions Trophy will commence on September 8 against China. This will be followed by matches against Japan, Malaysia, Korea and arch-rivals Pakistan. The tournament serves as a crucial test for India as they aim to build on their recent success and prepare for future international challenges. After a day's rest post their opening match, India will face Malaysia on September 11 and Korea the following day.
2024 Paris Olympics: Indian men's hockey team won bronze medal
The Indian men's hockey team won the bronze medal at 2024 Paris Olympics after defeating Spain 2-1. It was a heroic show from Harmanpreet's men against the Spaniards at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. India came from behind to win the contest. Skipper Harmanpreet scored both goals for India. Earlier, Marc Miralles handed Spain a 1-0 lead.
13 medals at the Olympics for Indian men's hockey team
The Indian hockey team has won eight gold medals at the Olympics (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980). Apart from eight golds, the team has won one silver medal in 1960 and 4 bronze medals (1968, 1972, 2020 and 2024). The India men's hockey team won consecutive Olympic Games medals for first time since 1972. Notably, India won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
