Indian junior hockey team named for Volvo International

The Indian men's junior team was announced on Friday for the six-nation Volvo International Tournament 2015 to be played in the Netherlands from July 18 to 25.

The 18-member squad was selected from the preparatory camp held in here last month. The team will be captained by promising midfielder Harjeet Singh, while talented defender Dipsan Tirkey will be the vice-captain. Talented drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh is also a important member.

Most of the players have the experience of playing international tournaments and were part of the team that won the 2014 Sultan of Johor Cup, where they beat Great Britain 2-1 in the final.

Apart from India, the Netherlands, Germany, England, Belgium and New Zealand will vie for the title. The Under-21 tournament will provide a testing platform to the teams, who are even gearing up for the upcoming Junior Asian Cup later this year.

Harendra Singh-coached India will play their first match on July 18 against Germany.

"This is a very energetic and talented team as most players have the capability and experience of playing under tremendous pressure. The preparatory camp was very fruitful which helped enhance their skills as well as playing along with each other on the field.

"Most of the players in the squad have international experience and were part the champion team of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2014 and which I think will help in the upcoming tournament. Their exposure and learning will surely help the younger players and strengthen the team-combination."

The squad:

Goalkeepers: Pankaj Kumar Rajak, Suraj Karkera.

Defenders: Vikramjit Singh, Dipsan Tirkey, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Baljit Singh, Anand Lakra.

Midfielders: Santa Singh, Manpreet, Nilakanta Sharma, Harjeet Singh, Ajay Yadav.

Forwards: Sumit Kumar, Armaan Qureshi, Parvinder Singh, Gurjant Singh, Simranjeet Singh.