Kolkata: Defending champions Ranchi Rhinos today announced a 24-member squad for the second edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) to be held from January 25-February 23.
The team will miss the services of their German captain Moritz Fuerste, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medallist, who will join the squad only on January 27. "He has some commitments and we will miss him for our first two matches on January 26 and 27 in Ranchi," CEO Banti Singh said while announcing the squad today.
The team has five new players to the earlier squad including Barry Middleton, 30-year-old English midfielder, who was bought in this year's auction.
The Rhinos also have two replacement players in the Spanish duo of Marc Salles Esteve and Eduard Arbos Borras. Spanish forward Eduard was a part of their silver medal winning team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while Salles was part of their 2012 campaign.
Besides, fit-again Amon Mirash Tirkey and Sukhmanjit Singh who missed out last year due to injuries has returned.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Francisco Juancosa, Sushant Tirkey.
Defenders: Justin Reid Ross, Sumit Topno, Sukhmanjit Singh, Amit Rohidas, Bosco Perez-Pla de Alvear.
Midfielders: Birendra Lakra, Austin Smith, Manpreet Singh, Kothajit Singh, Ashley Jackson, Moritz Fuerste (c), Floris Evers, Barry Middleton, Marc Salles Esteve.
Forwards: Prabhdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Parvinder Singh, Arvind Kujur, Stanli Victor Minz, Vikas Choudhary, Amon Mirash Tirkey, Eduard Arbos Borras.
Indian hockey team have to raise fitness level: Ashley Jackson
Indian hockey team have to raise fitness level: Ashley Jackson
Kolkata: India would have to step up their fitness level to bridge the ever-widening gap with the top hockey playing nations, feels promising British centre half Ashley Jackson.
"In terms of skills, they are second to none. But it's the physical fitness where they struggle. That's where the top teams have gone too far ahead. There's a reasonable gap to bridge," the senior member of champions Ranchi Rhinos in the upcoming Hockey Indian League said today.
The first Briton to win FIH's 'Young Player of the Year' award in 2009 is also impressed with the standard of hockey among the kids in Ranchi. "We were coaching small kids in Ranchi and they were all phenomenal. India have some bright young talents who are better than what we have back home," the 26-year-old said.
Having made his debut for England during the U-21 Junior World Cup at an age of 17, Jackson has not looked back even as the sport has little to offer in terms of money in United Kingdom.
"We train like professionals, but we get paid as amateurs. Only two per cent get paid 'very small amount' from their clubs," Jackson, who plays for East Grinstead in Sussex, said.
This is one reason why players like him like to play in HIL even if that means missing out on a few matches in their league season. "It's good to spend a few weeks here and get some money. Many even do odd jobs to support themselves. HIL has been quite good, hope it keeps growing," he said.
HI announces panel of umpires
HI announces panel of umpires
Bhubaneswar: Hockey India (HI) today announced a panel of umpires for the second edition of the Hero Hockey India League to be played between January 25 and February 23.
Bjorn Isberg will lead the team of umpires as tournament director in the league to be played across Delhi, Mumbai, Mohali, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Lucknow, HI sources said.
In recent years, Bjorn has conducted many events as Tournament Director including 2012 London Olympics, FIH Champions Trophy tournaments at Lahore (2004), Kuala Lumpur (2007) and Auckland (2011) and FIH Indoor World Cup 2011 in Poland.
Bjorn will be supported by Claudius de Sale and Shakeel Quereshi as Assistant Tournament Directors while Craig Gribble will be the Umpires Manager for the Tournament with ten national and international umpires to support him during the event, sources said.
Gribble expects this to be a wonderful opportunity for the Umpire group to develop and apply their craft to an exciting brand of hockey, sources added. Gribble will have a team of well known international umpires including Diego Barbas from Argentina, Eduardo Lizana from Spain and Jakub Mejzlik from Czechoslovakia.
The Indian contingent includes Javed Shaikh, Raghu Prasad, G S Sangha, Pankaj Tyagi, Ripudaman Sharma, Harshwardhan. The entire team of Umpires has established credentials of adjudging many international tournaments.
In a statement, chairman of Hero Hockey India Leage Dr Narinder Batra said: "I am extremely delighted to have such a strong and well established panel of technical experts to judge the tournament.
This clearly raises the profile of the League many folds amongst international audience. The team is amongst the chosen few experts who are well respected across the world for their precise and fair decisions."
Team of Indian Judges include Devendra Bhatia, Anjali Sharma, Sania Bhatia, Michael Lal, Milind Narvekar and Avinash Srivastava.
