Two goalkeepers in Olympic hockey squad

India will go into the Olympics with two goalkeepers in Bharat Chetri and PR Sreejesh while old warhorse Ignace Tirkey makes a comeback into the 16-man hockey squad for the London Games.

There was an option to select just one goalkeeper but the national selectors, who met in Pune on Thursday after the two-day trials, decided that it was the safer option to have two goalkeepers in the squad.

Forward Gurwinder Singh Chandi, who injured his hamstring during the four-nation Olympic test event in May, also comes back into the team after missing out during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

The official announcement of the team will be made on Friday. Chief coach Michael Nobbs and exercise physiologist were present during the hour-long selection meeting with the national selectors.

According to sources, Yuvraj Walmiki, who was injured during the Olympic qualifiers in the Capital, and defender Rupinder Pal Singh, both part of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in which India finished third, were left out. Ignace Tirkey was part of the Indian team that competed in the Olympic test event in London in May but was rested for the Azlan Shah Cup.

However, the 30-year old Orissa defender has been selected. The panel didn’t find Rupinder and Walmiki good enough to make the cut for the Olympic squad after going through their performances in the Azlan Shah in Malaysia.

The changes were on the expected lines with selectors banking on tried and tested players.
Bharat Chetri (left) will be one of the two goalkeepers for India, while Yuvraj Walmiki (right) is omitted

It is learnt that the decision to include two goalkeepers was also a contingency measure in case of injury to one of the custodians.

‘In most of the tournaments that India participated in recently, Nobbs has persisted with two goalkeepers and putting aside the speculations, two goalies were picked for the Olympics,’ said a source.

It has also been learnt that midfielder Kothajit Singh and forward Sarvanjit Singh will travel with the team as standbys.

As many as 48 probables were selected after the Olympic qualifiers in February and the list was pruned to 16 on Thursday. India failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics after losing to Great Britain in the Chile qualifiers.

After the qualifiers, India have played two tournaments and have had mixed results.

The eight-time Olympic gold medallists competed in a four-nation Olympic test event in London.

Besides, the team for India’s 22-member European tour of France and Spain was also selected on Thursday with Rupinder, Chinglensana Singh, Walmiki and Pradhan Somanna making the cut.

At the Olympics, 12 nations are divided into two groups. India has Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Korea and Belgium in their pool.