Lalit among five India forwards overlooked for Asian Champions Trophy squad

New Delhi: Lalit Kumar Upadhyay is among the five forwards left out of the 18-member Indian men’s hockey team for next month’s Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai. Apart from Lalit, Abhishek, Pawan, Dilpreet Singh and Simranjeet Singh, who are all currently with the Indian squad in Spain gearing up for the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-International Tournament, also missed the cut for the prestigious tournament to be played at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium from 3-12 August. Ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh will continue to lead the side while midfielder Hardik Singh will serve as his deputy. Manpreet Singh will return to the midfield after being listed as a defender during the European leg of the Pro League. India will face Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan and China in the Pool stage of the tournament. The tournament will also serve as a preparation event for the Hangzhou Asian Games, the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying tournament for hockey. Veteran PR Sreejesh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak have been named as the team’s goalkeepers, while the team also include stalwarts such as defender Amit Rohidas, midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad and former captain Manpreet, among others. “We have carefully chosen a squad that has the potential to go on and give a good account of themselves in the Asian Champions Trophy,” said chief coach Craig Fulton in a release on Tuesday. “The squad has a blend of youth and experience. It’s an exciting phase for the squad as we start the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-International Tournament in Spain tomorrow (Wednesday) and post this tournament (we) fly directly to Chennai to play at home in the Asian Champions Trophy,” said Fulton. Squad: Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (capt), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas Midfielders: Hardik Singh (vice-captain), Vivek Sagar Prasad, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh. Forwards: Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, S Karthi.