Bharat Chhetri replaces Rajpal as captain
M.S. Unnikrishnan
Tribune News Service
Goal-keeper Bharat Chhetri of Karnataka has replaced Rajpal Singh as the captain of the Indian hockey team for the tour of Australia from October 12 to November 5. Another senior player, midfielder Ignace Tirkey of Army, will be vice-captain.
Chhetri, 27, with 114 international caps to his credit, will be leading the country for the first time, while veteran Tirkey has turned up for the country on 232 internationals. India will play a four-nation nine-a-side International Super Series in Perth and another international tournament featuring Pakistan and hosts Australia, thereafter.
Drag flicker Sandeep Singh and midfielder Sardar Singh, who were banned for indiscipline before the Asian Champions Trophy, but were pardoned when they apologised last week, have been included in the team.
The change at the top clearly indicates that the players’ revolt in protest against the “paltry sum” of Rs 25,000 announced by Hockey India for the Asian Champions Trophy win has not gone down well with the HI top brass. Sports Minister Ajay Maken had to step in then to pacify the agitated players, led by Rajpal, by announcing a hike in reward to Rs 1.5 lakh for each player of the team. Interestingly, Chhetri had been replaced by P.R. Sreejesh in the title match against Pakistan at Ordos.
Hockey India selectors B.P. Govinda, Syed Ali, Thoiba Singh and A.B. Subbaiah, besides Government observer Dilip Tirkey, witnessed the selection trials at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bangalore on September 26.
The nine-a-side tourney will be played on a normal-dimension field but with many changes like an additional one-metre wider goal. One player must be in the attacking half at all times. There can be only two defenders besides the goalkeeper to stop penalty-corners and there must not be more than four players from the attacking team for taking these penalty-corners. The attacking players have to stand outside the 23-metre line before they receive the out push from the backline and the penalty-corner must be executed within 25 seconds. In the case of long corners, it will be five players versus five.
If the scores are level after 30 minutes of play, a penalty shootout will be applied where the striker will be allowed only eight seconds to score, starting from the 23-metre area. The match duration would be 30 minutes with two halves of 15 minutes each. The four-nation tourney will feature India, Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand.
India will begin their tour with a match against Australia A on October 17 and will then take on New Zealand the next day before the 9-a-side tournament, which has the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) sanction. This is the first time that such a format is being implemented at the international level.
The team: Goalkeepers: Bharat Chhetri and P.R. Sreejesh; defenders: Manjit Kullu, Rupinderpal Singh, V.R. Raghunath and Sandeep Singh; midfielders: Ignace Tirkey, Gurbaj Singh, Vikas Sharma, Manpreet Singh, Vikram Pillay, Arjun Halappa and Sardar Singh; forwards: Danish Mujtaba, Ravi Pal, Sarvanjit Singh, Rajpal Singh, Yuvraj Valmiki, S.V. Sunil, Gurvinder Singh Chandi, Tushar Khandker and Bharat Chikara.
India’s match schedule: India vs Australia (Oct. 17), India vs New Zealand (Oct 18). International Super Series 9-a-side Tournament in Perth. India vs New Zealand (two matches, Oct. 20), India vs Pakistan (two matches, Oct. 21), India vs Australia (two matches, Oct 22) and final and placement matches (Oct. 23). International tournament: India vs Australia at Busselton (Oct 26), India vs Pakistan at Busselton (Oct 27), India vs Australia at Bunbury (Oct 31), India vs Pakistan at Bunbury (Nov. 1); final (Nov 3).
Saba to lead women
Strikers Saba Anjum and Jasjeet Kaur Handa, both from Railways, will be the captain and vice-captain of the Indian women’s hockey team for the tour of Australia from October 12 to 24. They will play a four-Test series against Australia followed by a three-nation 9-a-side International Super Series in Perth. The selection trials to pick the 18-member team were held at Bhopal on September 28.
The team: Goalkeepers: Yogita Bali, E. Rajani; defenders: Joydeep Kaur, Preety Sunila Kiro, Jaspreet Kaur; mid-fielders: Asuta Lakra, Kirandeep Kaur, Ritu Rani, P. Sushila Chanu, Mukta Prava Barla, Deepika; forwards: Saba Anjum, Jasjeet Kaur, Poonam Rani, Vandana Katariya, Rani, Soundarya Yendala, Rosalin Dung Dung.