Mukesh Kumar recalled

August 24: After the dismal Indian performance in South Africa, the IHF has today decided to recall Indian Airlines winger Mukesh Kumar t...

August 24: After the dismal Indian performance in South Africa, the IHF has today decided to recall Indian Airlines winger Mukesh Kumar to the national squad. He is part of the 18-member team which will play in the double leg Four Nation hockey tournament in Sydney and Canberra next month.

The team will be continue to be captained by 27-year-old medio Md Riaz, one of the Arjuna award winners for 1998, who led India in the South Africa tour. The team includes four full-backs, six mid-fielders and six forwards, in addition to two goalkeepers.

Striker Baljit Singh Dhillon, injured in the Amritsar camp prior to the South African tour, has been left out as he has not recovered from his injury. The family representation continues in the form of brother Daljit Singh Dhillon.

The tourney will be played as the first preparatory event for next year8217;s Sydney Olympics. Besides India and hosts Australia, South Korea and Canada will also take part.

This year8217;s tournament will probably see some tough matches, with Australia being the current Champions Trophy victors, and twice Asiad champions South Korea finishing as runners-up in the Brisbane tournament last month. Canada had beaten India in the Utrecht World Cup in 1998 and then again at Cairo in February this year.

The Indian team will undergo a conditioning camp at the Karnataka State Hockey Association stadium in Bangalore from September one to 12 before their departure Down Under.

The team

Goalkeepers: Edward Aloysius PSB and Jude Menezes Mumbai; Fullback: Dilip Tirkey and Lazarus Barla IA, Dinesh Nayak TN and Anurag Raghuvanshi Air-India; Mid-fielders: Baljit Singh Saini and Baljit Singh Chandi PSB, Md Riaz capt IA, Thirumal Valavan TN, Sukhbir Singh Gill Bharat Petroleum and Anwar Khan ONGC; Forwards: Mukesh Kumar, Samir Dad both IA, Gagan Ajit Singh, Deepak Thakur both Air-India, Kamal Horo Services, Daljit Singh Dhillon Punjab; Standbyes: Boppanna Karnataka, Chandrasekhar Zalco Centre of Excellence, Virinder Singh IA and Ammar Byyanma Air-India; Coaches: V Baskaran and Ramesh Parmeswaran.