Podium is the target for us in every tournament, says PR Sreejesh

Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who will lead India at the 26th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, has insisted the team is full of confidence and will look for a podium finish in the upcoming tournaments.

Speaking to ANI, Sreejesh said, "Our performances in previous matches have given us responsibility to perform better. Our performance last year was very good. We are expecting the same this year also. Of course from the start, you cannot say that we are going to beat every team, but still podium is the target for us for each and every tournament."

"So, we all are working very hard to achieve that," he added.

Hockey India on Tuesday named an experimental 18-member squad for the Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh from April 27 to May 6.

The squad to be led by ace goalkeeper PR Sreejesh includes six players from last year's Junior World Cup-winning side out of which four will make their senior debut in Azlan Shah Cup.

Defender Gurinder Singh, midfielders Sumit and Manpreet Junior and goalkeeper Suraj Karkera will make their senior debut in the tournament, while dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh and Harjeet Singh were other members of the junior team who have already played for the senior side.

The Indian squad is as follows: P.R. Sreejesh (captain), Suraj Karkera, Pardeep Mor, Surender Kumar, Rupinderpal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Gurinder Singh, Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, Sumit, Sardar Singh, Manpreet Singh (vice-captain), Harjeet Singh, Manpreet, SV Sunil, Talwinder Singh, Mandeep Singh, Affan Yousuf, Akashdeep Singh.