Azlan Shah hockey: India get invite

Malaysia has confirmed that it wants India to play in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Kuala Lumpur starting next month. The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) had threatened to withdraw the invitation to India if the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) did not send a full-strength squad.

However, the IHF has asked one of the rested players, Vikram Pillay, to join the training camp in Hyderabad along with another recalled player, Lazarus Barla. At the moment, the IHF is not ruling out the possibility of recalling other ‘rested’ players — who shifted yesterday to the NSG campus in Manesar — for the meet. It will depend, Jothikumaran said, “on the feedback received from the training camp in Hyderabad”. — (ENS)