Harmanpreet to lead India in 5-Nations tournament

Ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh will lead a 24-member Indian hockey squad in the 5-Nations Tournament, scheduled to be held in Valencia, Spain from December 15 to 22.

The squad is a mix of youth and experience, with Sumit and Amit Rohidas being named vice-captains for the tour.

The tournament, which will serve as a preparatory event ahead of the 2023-24 Hockey Pro League season, will see India play against Spain, Germany, France and Belgium.

The goalkeeping department will see the return of Suraj Karkera to the squad, with stalwart PR Sreejesh and Krishan B Pathak expected to do bulk of the work under the bar.

In defence, Harmanpreet will lead the charge alongside Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Rohidas, Varun Kumar, Sumit, Sanjay and Nilam Sanjeep Xess.

Chief coach Craig Fulton said the tournament will provide younger players the opportunity to experience the pressure of facing some of the top sides in the world.

"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," said Fulton in a release.

"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."

Squad:

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera; Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh (c), Varun Kumar, Sumit, Sanjay, Nilam Sanjeep Xess; Midfielders: Yashdeep Siwach, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem; Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Karthi Selvam, Dilpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh.