New Delhi: Hockey India on Wednesday announced the much anticipated 16-member Indian Men’s Hockey Team that will compete for the top honours at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, scheduled from 26th July to 11th August 2024.
Odisha’s ace defender Amit Rohidas has been included in the squad. He is the only Odia player in the team. It will be the second Olympics for Amit Rohidas.
With five Olympic debutants in the squad, the team is infused with a fresh approach, driven by intense training and preparation at the ongoing national camp at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team will continue to be led by ace drag-flicker and defender Harmanpreet Singh, with powerful midfielder Hardik Singh as the Vice-Captain. Harmanpreet is set to play in his third Olympics, having debuted as the youngest member of the Indian squad at the 2016 Rio Olympics and subsequently contributing to the Bronze medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The squad also features veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and midfielder Manpreet Singh, both of whom will be making their fourth Olympic appearance. The defence line includes Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Sumit, and Sanjay, while the midfield will see the contributions of Raj Kumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad. The forward line boasts formidable players such as Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, and Gurjant Singh.
Additionally, goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, midfielder Nilakanta Sharma, and defender Jugraj Singh have been named as alternate athletes.
Intriguingly, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Raj Kumar Pal, Abhishek, and Sukhjeet Singh are the five players who are set to make their Olympic debut in Paris.
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team will kick off their campaign on 27th July against New Zealand, followed by a match against Argentina on 29th July. They will then face Ireland and Belgium on 30th July and 1st August, respectively, with their final group stage game against Australia on 2nd August.
It is worth mentioning that the Indian Men’s Hockey Team has a rich Olympic history, having secured an impressive 12 Olympic medals, including 8 Gold, 1 Silver, and 3 Bronze medals, hence, the Harmanpreet-led team will be aiming to add another medal to the tally.
Indian Men’s Hockey Team for Paris 2024 Olympics:
Goalkeepers:
Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
Defenders:
Jarmanpreet Singh
Amit Rohidas
Harmanpreet Singh
Sumit .
Sanjay
Midfielders:
Rajkumar Pal
Shamsher Singh
Manpreet Singh
Hardik Singh
Vivek Sagar Prasad
Forwards:
Abhishek
Sukhjeet Singh
Lalit Kumar Upadhyay
Mandeep Singh
Gurjant Singh
Alternate Athletes:
Nilakanta Sharma
Jugraj Singh
Krishan Bahadur Pathak