- विज्ञापन -
Hockey India has announced a 24-player men’s squad for the upcoming European segment of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25, scheduled from June 7 to 22 in Amstelveen, Netherlands, and Antwerp, Belgium. The team will be captained by experienced dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh, with senior midfielder Hardik Singh serving as vice-captain.
India will kick off their European campaign with two matches against the Netherlands on June 7 and 9, followed by matches against Argentina on June 11 and 12 at Wagner Stadium in Amstelveen. The team will then travel to Antwerp to face Australia on June 14 and 15, concluding their series against Belgium on June 21 and 22.
The team features goalkeepers Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera. Defenders include Sumit, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, captain Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, and Yashdeep Siwach. The midfield comprises Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, vice-captain Hardik Singh, young talent Rajinder Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, and Shamsher Singh. Forwards are Gurjant Singh, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh, and Sukhjeet Singh.
India’s previous home leg in Bhubaneswar earlier this year resulted in five wins out of eight games, earning them 15 points and placing them third in the league standings. As the top-ranked teams continue to compete for a spot in the 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, the Indian team aims to gather maximum points in the remaining fixtures to improve their standing.
Chief Coach Craig Fulton emphasized the importance of experience and strategic improvement, stating, “We aimed to include more experienced players this time, and I am pleased with the squad. We’ve been training well, and our goal is to win as many matches as possible since World Cup qualification is at stake.”
He also highlighted areas for improvement, saying, “We haven’t drawn any games so far, and converting losses into draws could earn us crucial points, especially with shootouts. We also need to improve our penalty corner conversion rate, setting clear objectives for the upcoming matches.”
