A 19-member India men’s hockey squad was announced by Hockey India on Wednesday for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics to be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
Star defender Amit Rohidas has been selected in the squad as the only Odia player. This will be the second Olympics for Amit.
“Me and my family members are extremely happy over my selection in the Indian team for the marquee event. This will be my second Olympics. We have made good preparations and our team is fully ready for the big event. Our first aim will be to reach the quarterfinal,” said Rohidas.
While ace drag-flicker and defender Harmanpreet Singh will lead the team, powerful midfielder Hardik Singh will be his deputy.
The squad also features veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and midfielder Manpreet Singh, both of whom will be making their fourth Olympic appearance. The defence line includes Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Rohidas, Sumit, and Sanjay.
The midfield will see the contributions of Raj Kumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad. The forward line boasts formidable players such as Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh and Gurjant Singh.
Additionally, goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, midfielder Nilakanta Sharma, and defender Jugraj Singh have been named as alternate athletes.
Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Raj Kumar Pal, Abhishek, and Sukhjeet Singh are the five players who are set to make their Olympic debut in Paris.
The Indian team will kick off their campaign against New Zealand on July 27, followed by a match against Argentina on July 29. They will then face Ireland and Belgium on July 30 and August 1 respectively, with their final group stage game against Australia on August 2.
Also Read | India Men’s Hockey Squad Announced for Paris Olympics 2024
The Squad: Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay, Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh; Alternate athletes: Nilakanta Sharma, Jugraj Singh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak.