The Adhoc committee looking after the indian men’s hockey affairs have announcd the probables for the forthcoming Junior Asia Cup.

The camp will commence today (Wednesday, the 18th June) at Hyderabad’s Gachibowli hockey stadium, where in three week’s time the Asia Cup will commence.

AK Bansal will bethe coach with Rajesh Chauhan his deputy. It is tipped that Pargat Singh will continue to be the manager. However, no official communication is available on this matter.

It is also confirmed now that China has pulled out of the tournament without citing any reason.

Meanwhile a communique dated 26th May, the Asian Hockey Federation has confirmed that it would correspond with the ad-hoc committee to conduct the Asia Cup successfully in Hyderabad. This sets at rest speculation that the former IHF people might sabotage the event using the old office stationary and contacts.

The Propables:

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Mrinal Chaubey, Manish, Hardeep Singh

Full-backs: Diwakar Ram, Innocent Kullu, Sameer Baxla, Manjeet Kulu, VR Raghunath,
Manavjit Singh

Midfielders:Gurbaj Singh, Vivek, Jagnit Singh, Ranjit SIngh, Amardeep Ekka, B. Horo, Birender Lakra, Vikas Sharma

Forwards: Pramod Kumar, Danish Mujtaba, Jagwant Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Yuvraj Balmiki, Gurvinder Singh Chandi, Dharmveeer Singh, Mandeep Antil, Jai Karan, SV Sunil, Juhar Singh, Roshan Minz

India have been placed alongside Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Singapore in Pool A in the Junior Asia Cup men’s hockey tournament to be held at the Gachhibowli Stadium here from July 8.

South Korea, Bangladesh, Oman and Pakistan will constitute Pool B.

The tournament will be played on league-cum-knock out basis with the top two teams from each pool moving into the semi-finals. The final is slated on July 18.

India are favourites to defend their title which they won four years ago beating hosts Pakistan in Karachi. Pakistan have been champions in the first three editions.

The Indian team which reached the final of the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia last month comprised mostly of junior players. After their showing in that tourney, the juniors will be confident to take on teams like Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia and Korea.

Preparations are afoot to make the tournament, which India is hosting for the first time, a successful event.

The ad-hoc committee that has taken over the Indian Hockey Federation has formed an organising committee under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and with 21 other members to look after the preparation for the tournament.