Even as Hockey India continues to scout for a new foreign coach for the junior men’s national side, it named a 18-member squad for the 9th Sultan of Johor Cup next month.
While the team includes quite a few names who have already earned their national caps and are part of the senior team as well, it would be interesting to see who accompanies the side as coach in the absence of a full-time chief coach.
The current junior camp ongoing in Bengaluru is being supervised by High Performance Director David John and B.J. Kariappa. Hockey India had advertised for a new coach back in July after sacking Jude Felix following disappointing outings but is yet to fill the post. The federation had extended its application deadline thrice before taking down the advertisement from its website without any final decision.
Mor to lead
The Indian side would be led by Mandeep Mor and includes the likes of Dilpreet Singh, Gursahibjit Singh and Shilanand Lakra in attack, all with senior team experience. The tournament is scheduled to be held from October 12-19 in Malaysia. New Zealand, Japan, Australia and Great Britain are the other teams in fray.
“It will be a fantastic experience for the team since top sides like Australia and Great Britain will be taking part. The players have been put through strenuous training and have improved their skills tremendously. However, they will have to find a way to apply their learnings on the field and execute their plans,” Kariappa said.
Wonink demoted?
Interestingly, Hockey India has also sought applications for a new analytical coach for the women’s side. Erik Wonink, who had been in this role for almost two years and had a good understanding with chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, has been moved to the junior women’s side. The decision was taken a few years ago and has only now come to light with the federation advertising for the same with the last date for application being October 5.
The squad: Goalkeepers: Prashant Kumar Chauhan, Pawan; Defenders: Sanjay, Dinachandra Singh Moirangthem, Pratap Lakra, Suman Beck, Mandeep Mor, Yashdeep Siwach, Shardanand Tiwari; Midfielders: Vishnu Kant Singh, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Maninder Singh; Forwards: Dilpreet Singh, Sudeep Chirmako, Gursahibjit Singh, Uttam Singh, Rahul Kumar Rajbhar, and Shilanand Lakra.
