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Journalism of Courage
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh has been rested as defender Sanjay will lead the Indian men’s hockey team at the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup starting from November 23 in Ipoh, Malaysia.
Coach Craig Fulton has gone with his B side resting several senior players including first choice goalkeepers Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera. Apart from the goalkeepers, midfield veteran Manpreet Singh and striker Mandeep are also not part of the team.
Young goalkeepers Pawan and Mohith HS will take the guard in the goal while Sanjay, Jugraj Singh, and Amit Rohidas will lead the defensive line up along with Povanna CB, Nilam Sanjeep Xess and Yashdeep Siwach. Jugraj will have the additional responsibility of taking penalty corners. The midfield will be marshalled by Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Vivek Sagar Prasad and Mohammed Raheel Mouseen. The attack will be led by Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Dilpreet Singh and Abhishek.
The standbys for the tournament include Varun Kumar, Vishnu Kant Singh, Hardik Singh and Angad Bir Singh.
“The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup has always been a key tournament in the international hockey calendar, and we are excited to participate with a balanced squad. Our focus has been on sharpening our structure in both attack and defence, improving decision-making under pressure, and maintaining consistency throughout the game. This group has shown great discipline and hunger in training, and we believe they are ready to take on the challenge,” Indian men’s hockey team chief coach Craig Fulton said. “We look forward to strong performances in Ipoh and using this tournament as an important step in our long-term 2026 World Cup and Asian Games cycle,” he added.
India will open their campaign against Korea on November 23, followed by matches against Belgium (November 24), hosts Malaysia (November 26) and New Zealand (November 27) and Canada (November 29).
The tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with the top two teams qualifying for the final scheduled for November 30.
India last won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title in 2010 and finished as runners-up in 2019.
Goalkeepers: Pawan, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar.
Defenders: Chandura Boby, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Yashdeep Siwach, Sanjay, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas.
Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Moirangthem Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen.
Forwards: Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Dilpreet Singh, Abhishek.
