Hockey squad in Utrecht

Saini will join the squad on Tuesday morning after completing his visa formalities at the Dutch Embassy at New Delhi. The secretary of the Indian Hockey Federation IHF, K Jothikumaran, will also arrive on the same flight with Saini.

Olympian Ajitpal Singh, the Indian team manager, told UNI on arrival here that the team would have a few workouts at the two pitches prior to the commencement of the competition.

The two action turfs are located at adjoining stadiums at Galgenwaard and Frockey.

India are in Pool A along with host Holland, Germany, Korea, New Zealand and Canada. Pool B consists of defending champion Pakistan, Australia, Spain, England, Malaysia and Poland.

Indiawill begin their campaign at Galgenwaard on May 21 against Champions Trophy winners and twice Olympic champions Germany, who have yet to win the world title.

The other matches for India at this venue are against Atlanta Olympic champions Holland on May 22 and Asian champion South Korea on May 24.

This venue, which is originally a soccer pitch of FC Utrecht, is being used as the number one pitch for the competition.

India8217;s matches against 1976 Olympic winner New Zealand and American Continental champion Canada are to be played at Frockey on May 26 and 28 respectively.

Ajitpal said the squad will have its training sessions starting this evening with some light workouts due to acclimatisation differentials. The rigorous final toning up will commence from tomorrow.

Meanwhile, coach Vasudevan Baskaran reiterated today that there shall be no compromise on any unfit player making the final 16.

8220;All doubts and question marks on Pillay and Rajiv Mishra shall be dealt with by competent persons, even if itinvolves the best medical opinion,8221; he said.

The final squad has to be submitted by the team manager at the manager8217;s meeting on the eve of the championship.

IHF president KPS Gill has authorised the two selectors and the coach who will be at Utrecht before the International Hockey Federation FIH deadline to name the final 16. The three persons are Ajitpal, Zafar Iqbal and Bhaskaran.

Gill had earlier said at New Delhi that 8220;our boys need to have more and more exposure particularly in view of this being perhaps the busiest year for hockey8221;.

Apart from the World Cup, India is scheduled to take part in the Commonwealth Games in September and the Asian Games at Bangkok in December. In case India finishes in the top six here it will qualify for the next edition of the Champions Trophy at Lahore in November.