WSH players sidelined as 48 Probables for Sr Men Camp announced

The cold war is not over it seems. Hockey fans in the country were relieved when the likes of Bharat Chhikara and Arjun Halappa were among many of them — who played in the highly successful WSH — and were seen in action in the recent Senior National Championship

But we are in for disappointment. Almost all the players who figured in the WSH, have been mysteriously kept in the Waiting List, which they call Standbye. How come a senior player like Ravi Pal Singh and tested and trusted Manjit Kullu and Vikas Sharma be standbyes?

Ironically, Arjun Halappa, who was declared as the Best Forward of the HI Senior Nationals, is found missing from the list of probables announced today.

Not only that. All the up and coming players, who already played for India, B and Junior levels like Manjit Kullu, Devinder Walmiki and Vikas Sharma, Vikas Pillay are in the standby list. In fact, the 9 players in the waiting list are established stars, but having been sinned by playing WSH!

But at the same time many new comers are straight away in the first list of 48.

Its yet another case where the so-called selectors seem to second-fiddle to political shenaighans.

The Press Release from Hockey India is given below:

NEW DELHI, October 9: The 48 probables for the Indian team to compete in the Lanco International Super Series and 34th Men’s FIH Champions Trophy in Australia will start training at the SAI Centre at the Netaji Subash National Institute of Sports in Patiala from October 15, Hockey India has announced.

Hockey India Selectors Col. Balbir Singh, B.P Govinda and Syed Ali alongwith Government Observer Harbinder Singh – all Olympians – selected a core group of 48 probables for the camp on the basis of their performance in the recently concluded 2nd Hockey India Senior Men National Championship in Bangalore. The selectors also named nine reserves.

The Indian team will take part in Lanco International Super Series at Perth in Australia from November 22 to 25. The tournament will also feature England, Australia and Pakistan. This will be followed by Champions Trophy at the State Netball Hockey Centre in Melbourne from December 1 to 9. The tournament will feature host Australia, Belgium, England, India, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan.

List of 48 Core Probables as under:

 GOAL KEEPERS


1. Bharat Chetri (Karnataka)

2. PR Sreejesh (Tamil Nadu)

3. PT Rao (Services)

4. Tarun Thimmanna (Karnataka)

5. Srenivas Rao (A.P)

FULLBACKS

6. VR Raghunath (Karnataka)

7. Ignace Tirkey (Services)

8. Sandeep Singh (Haryana)

9. Rupinderpal Singh (Tamil Nadu)

10. Harbir Singh (Punjab)

11. Lovedeep Singh (Chandigarth)

HALF BACKS

12. Sardar Singh (Haryana)

13. Kothajit Singh (Manipur)

14. Birendra Lakra (Jharkhand)

15. Manpreet Singh (Punjab)

16. MB Aiyappa (Karnataka)

17. Bipin Karketta (Odisha)

18. Pradeep Mor (Haryana)

19. Gurmail Singh (Haryana)

20. Amit Rohidas (Odisha)

21. Sampath Kumar Maylaram (A.P)

22. Shirish Bisen (U.P)

23. Barkat Singh (University)

24. Vivek Dhar (Railways)

25. Jonny Jasrotia (Services)

FORWARDS

26. SV Sunil (Services)

27. Gurvinder Singh Chandi (Punjab)

28. Sarvanjit Singh (Punjab)

29. Chinglensana Singh (Railways)

30. Shivendra Singh (Air India)

31. Danish Mujtaba (U.P)

32. Tushar Khandker (U.P)

33. S.K. Uthappa (Karnataka)

34. Pradhanna Sommanna (Air India)

35. Nithin Thimmaiah (Karnataka)

36. Yuvraj Walmiki (Maharasthra)

37. Dharamvir Singh (Punjab)

38. Akashdeep Singh (Punjab)

39. MG Poonacha (Railways)

40. Prabhdeep Singh (Punjab)

41. PL Thimmanna (Karnataka)

42. Sukhdev Singh (Services)

43. Lovepreet Singh (Services)

44. Sanjay Bir Singh (Railways)

45. Gurpreet Singh (University)

46. Sanwan Ali (Services)

47. Vikramjit Singh (Punjab)

48. Karamjit Singh (Haryana)

STANDBYES

GOALKEEPERS

1. Kamaldeep Singh (Punjab)

2. Gurpreet Singh (Air India)

DEFENDERS

3. Gurjinder Singh (Punjab)

4. Harpreet Singh (Haryana)

MIDFIELDERS

5. Manjit Kullu (Railways)

6. Ravi Pal (Punjab)

7. Vikas Sharma (U.P)

8. Vikas Pillai (Air India)

9. Devinder Valmiki (Maharastra)