Chanu To Lead Indian Team

Custodian Tingongleima Chanu will lead a 16-member Indian team in the Sydney Olympics women's hockey qualifying tournament in Milton Keynes, England from March 24 to April 2.

India, who won the silver medal in the the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, were edged out of a berth for the 1996 Atlanta Games when they lost a play-off tie against the US on penalty shoot-out.

The top-five from the 10-team field will make the grade. India are in pool A with Germany, Ireland, Spain and the US while Russia, China, New Zealand, Japan and Britain are in Pool B.

India will be without star forward Pritam Rani Siwatch besides Nidhi Khullar, Manjinder Kaur, Sandeep Kaur and Sita Gussain, all members of the last Asian Games team, due to various reasons.

The team, coached by Gurdial Singh Banghu, play Spain on the opening day and will meet Ireland (March 25), Germany (March 27) and the US (March 29) in the remaining pool clashes.

The team: Tingongleima Chanu, Helen Mary, Amandeep Kaur, Marystella Tirkey, Sunita Dalal, Suraj Lata, Sumrai Tete, Neha Singh, Kamla Dalal, Mamta Kharab, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Ferdina Ekka, Surinder Kaur, Kanti Baa, Pakpi Devi, Manorama Goswami.

Chief coach: GS Bhangu. Asst coach: Jaswinder Singh. Manager: Rupa Saini.

Doctor: Ashok Ahuja. Judge: Amrit Bose.

Groupings: Pool A: Germany, India, Ireland, Spain, the US.

Pool B: China, Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Russia.

Schedule: League phase : March 24 - India vs Spain, Germany vs US, Russia vs China, New Zealand vs Japan.

March 25 - India vs Ireland, Spain vs Germany, Britain vs Russia, China vs New Zealand.

March 26 - The US vs Ireland, Japan vs Britain.

March 27 - India vs Germany, Russia vs New Zealand.

March 28 - Spain vs the US, Germany vs Ireland, China vs Japan, New Zealand vs Britain.

March 29 - India vs the US, Ireland vs Spain, Japan vs Russia, Britain vs China.

March 30 - Rest day.

Classification matches: March 31 - Third pool A vs fourth Pool B; Fourth Pool A vs third Pool B, second Pool A vs First Pool B; first Pool A vs second Pool B.

April 1- Ninth/10th place playoff; seventh/eighth place playoff, fifth/sixth place playoff.

April 2 - third/fourth place playoff; Final.