Hockey: Junior Men's Core Group Returns To Camp For World Cup Preparations

Hockey India on Tuesday named a 40-member core probable group for the Junior Men's National Coaching camp, scheduled to take place from June 21 to July 31.

While 30 out of the 40-member group will report to coach C.R. Kumar in SAI, Bengaluru on Wednesday, the remaining players will report on July 2 after the ongoing 13th Hockey India Junior Men's National Championship 2023 in Rourkela concludes.

The Indian Colts, led by experienced coach C.R. Kumar, will look to fine-tune their preparations for the Junior World Cup, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from December 5 to 16, 2023, during this camp.

The Indian team is currently brimming with confidence and excitement after winning the Men's Junior Asia Cup 2023 in Oman earlier this month, defeating traditional rivals Pakistan 2-1 in a thrilling Final. With the historic victory, India also set a new record for the most titles (4) won at the Men's Junior Asia Cup.

Adding to their triumph, India also earned direct qualification for the highly-anticipated Junior World Cup 2023, solidifying their status as favourites from Asia. The team is now fully focused on intensifying its preparations for the forthcoming World Cup 2023, aiming to showcase its prowess on the global stage.

Speaking about the upcoming camp, Indian men's junior hockey coach C.R. Kumar outlined the team's objectives for the training camp. "The players were outstanding in the recent men's junior Asia Cup and that's why they clinched the trophy. However, now we have to move on from that win and focus on our next major tournament, which is the World Cup. And for the same, the players will begin their preparations by dedicating themselves to intense training sessions in the upcoming camp, pushing their limits to elevate their skills to new heights," he said.

"In addition, we will dedicate our efforts towards fortifying the team's foundation and fine-tuning their strategic approach, which is very much necessary to excel in a challenging tournament like the World Cup," he added.

The following players will be part of the Junior Men's National Coaching camp: Pratik Nigam, Ranvijay Singh Yadav, Chetan Sharma, Aditya Singh, Innocent Munda, Amit Kumar Yadav, Sahabaz Khan, Laban Lagun, Viswas G, Satish Balu, Mohit HS, Amandeep Lakra, Sharda Nada Tiwari, Cyril Lagun, Waribam Niraj Kumar Singh, Sunil Jojo, Abdul Ahad, Rajinder Singh, Vishnu Kant Singh, Poovanna CB, Uttam Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Sudeep Chirmako, Angad Bir Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Gurjot Singh, Arun Sahani, Aditya Lalge, Sunil Lakra, Amandeep, Mohit Karma, Rohit, Himwaan Sihag, Sukhvinder, Neeraj, Amir Ali, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Manoj Yadav, B.R. Bipin, and Yogember Rawat.