Sanjay to lead young Indian men's hockey team in New Zealand

Defender and drag-flicker Sanjay Rana will lead a young Indian team to New Zealand as Hockey India (HI) selectors and chief coach Craig Fulton have decided to rest the seniors.

Titled India-New Zealand Century of Sporting Unity Event, the November 15-23 tour marks 100 years of sporting relations between the two countries. In 1926, an Indian Army hockey team, featuring legend Major Dhyan Chand, became the first Indian outfit across sport to tour New Zealand.

The two teams will play three matches on November 19, 21 and 22 at the Lloyd Elsmore Hockey Stadium in Auckland.

The tour will provide the young side an important opportunity for promising players to gain valuable international exposure as Fulton prepares the team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Having already qualified for the Games by winning the Asian Games gold, the next one-and-a-half years is a crucial period, offering the coaching staff an opportunity to assess emerging talent and build greater depth within the setup.

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“The squad is a blend of some upcoming Under-21 players and the core of the current India A group. These matches come at the right time to challenge the squad in three matches against a solid New Zealand team playing at home,” said Fulton.

The selected 20 players will look to make the most of this opportunity, demonstrate their potential and strengthen their claims for future national team assignments in the absence of India regulars, including skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Mohith HS, Pawan

Defenders: Talem Priyobarta, Sanjay (c), Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Sharda Nand Tiwari, Anmol Ekka, Yashdeep Siwach

Midfielders: Angad Bir Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Rabichandra Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Manmeet Singh, Rosan Kujur, Venkatesh Kenche

Forwards: Ajeet Yadav, Uttam Singh, Karthi Selvam, Arshdeep Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal