Tags:
Journalism of Courage
New Delhi, Nov 4: Mercurial forward Dhanraj Pillay has been retained as captain of the 16-member Indian men8217;s hockey team for the 13th Asian Games to be held in Bangkok from December 6 to 20.
India, silver medallists at the last Games in Hiroshima where they lost to South Korea in the final, will have no international outing ahead of the hockey competition which will be held at the Queen Sirikit8217;s 60th Anniversary Stadium from December 7.
December 15 will be a rest day and the final will be held on December 19, as per the hockey programme.
Indian Hockey Federation president KPS Gill expressed surprise over secretary K Jothikumaran releasing the list in Bangkok, where an Indian selection is participating in a four-nation pre-Asian Games tournament.
Gill said the team list has been forwarded to the Indian Olympic Association for the apex body to fax it to the Games organising committee in time to meet the November 6 deadline.
Olympian Ashish Ballal, in the wilderness for the last two years, half-backSandeep Somesh and forward Sameer Dad have been included in the team picked by the selection committee on November 3. Forward Gagan Ajit Singh, goalkeeper Jude Menezes and Cheops D8217;Costa, who played in the September Commonwealth Games where India finished fourth, do not find a place.
TEAM: Goalkeepers: Ashish Ballal, AB Subbaiah both IA. Defenders: Dilip Tirkey, Lazarus Barla both IA, Anil Aldrin AI.
Half-backs: Baljit Singh Saini PSB, Sandeep Somesh Mum, Ramandeep Singh Punj and Thirumalvalavan tn. Forwards: Mukesh Kumar IA, Dhanraj Pillay Mum, Sabu Varkey Mum, Mohd Riaz IA, Baljit Singh Dhillon Punj, Sameer Dad IA and L Prabhakaran TN. Chief coach: MK Kaushik. Assistant coach: MR Negi. Manager: MS Mallick Haryana. Coaching advisor: Merwyn Fernandes.
