Runners Up India is all set to improve their rating in the SAG Games to be commenced late this month at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The team with so many senior players including V. Raghunath, Ajitesh Roy and Roshan Minz are currently in a practice camp in Lucknow.

Curiously, Col. Balbir Singh, present selector, has been named the team’s manager. He was last manager for India at the Indo-Pan American Friendship hockey in 1995, which India won in the summer of 1995. Subsequently, he coached women team for about a couple of years before going a phase of hibernation.

India won the inagural SAF Games’s gold in Chennai in 1995.

In the last edition at Colombo, India finished second behind Pakistan. Chennai’s V. Raja was the captain. Then coach Clarence is is the man in charge now also.

Indian team for the South Asian Federation Games announced.

Mrial Choubey,
Harjit Singh,

V. Raghunath,
Innocent Kullu,
Amit Prabhakar,
Ajitesh Roy,
Roshan Minz,
Birender Lakra Jr.,

Variderjit Singh,
Belsejar Horo,
Vikas Pillay,
Pramod Kumar,
Md. Amir Khan,
Bikas Toppo,
Darmvir Singh,
Yuvraj Walmiki,
Prabhdeep Singh,
Humza Mujtaba

Chief Coach: Clarence Lobo,
Coach: Gundeep Kumar,
Trainer: Naushad Ahmad,

Manager: Col. Balbir Singh.

Match Schedule

30 January – India v Nepal
31 January – India v Sri Lanka
03 February – India v Pakistan
05 February – India v Bangladesh

The squad will leave for Dhaka on 27 January.