Hockey India today announced a 20-member team under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Singh for the Asian Games.
Indian hockey team announced for the 20th Asian Games
20TH AISAN GAMES: The Indian hockey team for the 20th Asian Games has been announced today, Wednesday, July 29th. The match will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. A 20-member squad has been selected for this match. Star defender Harmanpreet will captain the defending champions in the tournament, which will be held from September 19th to October 4th. Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh, India's most-capped player, is also included in the squad. The team features a mix of experienced international players and emerging talent, as India, under Harmanpreet's captaincy, aims to retain the gold medal it won at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Goalkeepers Mohit HS and Suraj Karkera will also be part of the team for this tournament. The defensive unit will be led by Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Gujraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, and Yashdeep Siwach.
India's midfield consists of Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Neelakanta Sharma, and Vivek Sagar Prasad. Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, and Abhishek form the forward line. India has been placed in Pool A alongside hosts Japan, Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. The winner of this tournament will directly qualify for the LA 2028 Olympics.
Head coach Craig Fulton stated that the team is comprised of experienced players, and everyone's goal is to win the Asian Games and earn a berth at the LA 2028 Olympics. He emphasized this point by saying, "The Indian team selected for the Asian Games is very experienced. We are ready for the challenge of playing in Japan, where the winning team will qualify for the LA 2028 Olympics, and that is our main goal as a team and as a country."
Indian team for Asian Games 2026:
Goalkeepers: Mohit HS, Suraj Karkera
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (captain), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach
Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad
Forwards: Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek
