Mandeep Mor named captain as Hockey India names 18-member junior men's squad for Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia

New Delhi: Defender Mandeep Mor was on Monday named as captain of the 18-member Indian junior men’s hockey team for the ninth Sultan of Johor Cup to be held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from 12 to 19 October. While Mandeep will lead the side, Sanjay has been named as the vice-captain by Hockey India’s selection committee. India will face off against Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan, Australia and Great Britain in the round-robin league stage. Defenders Dinachandra Singh Moirangthem and Sharda Nand Tiwari are the new additions. Experienced Dilpreet Singh will spearhead the six-men forward line, which also has Gursahibjit Singh and Shilanand Lakra.

Give it up for the 18-Member Squad of the Indian Jr. Men’s Hockey Team! 🙌🏼

They will be representing 🇮🇳 in the 9th Sultan of Johor Cup (Jr. Men) that is scheduled to be played from 12th October to 19th October 2019.#IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/5IQ3yOJ4rS

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) September 30, 2019

The two goalkeepers of the side are Prashant Kumar Chauhan and Pawan. The Indian junior men’s hockey team will be hoping to improve its performance in the Sultan of Johor Cup after finishing a disappointing sixth at the Eight-Nation Tournament in Madrid in June. India coach B J Kariappa sounded confident about his team’s performance in the upcoming tournament. “The ninth Sultan of Johor Cup will be a fantastic experience for the Indian junior men’s hockey team since top sides such as Australia and Great Britain will be taking part in the competition,” he said. “The players have been put through strenuous training and have improved their skills tremendously. However, they will have to find a way to apply their learning on the field and execute their plans,” the coach added. Indian junior men’s team: Goalkeepers: Prashant Kumar Chauhan, Pawan. Defenders: Sanjay (Vice-Captain), Dinachandra Singh Moirangthem, Pratap Lakra, Suman Beck, Mandeep Mor, Yashdeep Siwach, Sharda Nand Tiwari. Midfielders: Vishnu Kant Singh, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Maninder Singh. Forwards: Dilpreet Singh, Sudeep Chirmako, Gursahibjit Singh, Uttam Singh, Rahul Kumar Rajbhar, Shilanand Lakra.