Times of India: India banking on team of all-rounders

By Manuja Veerappa

BENGALURU: The Punjabi music on the loudspeaker, which is an integral part of the Indian junior hockey team, played as usual in the background at the SAI, South Centre on Friday.

There were a few crestfallen faces among the jubilant ones as Hockey India’s High Performance director Roelant Oltmans announced the 18-member squad for the Junior World Cup beginning in Lucknow on December 8.

As the core group has been quite set over the past few months, there were no surprises in the squad coached by Harendra Singh. The team’s captain and his deputy are yet to be named.

The squad has a healthy sprinkling of players who have sparkled in international tournaments both with the senior and junior teams. But the test that awaits them is the pressure of playing a World Cup at home.