NEW DELHI, Aug 30 (PTI): Rajpal Singh was today named captain of the 16-member hockey squad, announced by Hockey India, for the October Commonwealth Games.
The side has only one goalkeeper in Bharat Chetri and five defenders, including Sandeep Singh, who was awarded Arjuna Awardee yesterday.
There are six midfielders and Rajpal is leading the forwards line-up along with Shivinder Singh and Tushar Khandker and Dharamvir Singh.
�The team was selected after the trials conducted at Balewadi, Pune in the presence of Hockey India Selectors Col. Balbir Singh and BP Govinda, Government Nominees Ajitpal Singh and Zafar Iqbal besides the Foreign Coach and National Coach,� Hockey India said in a statement.
The sqaud is the same which was leaked to media through an anonymous mail on Saturday.
Squad: Goalkeeper: Bharat Chetri (Canara Bank). Defenders: Sardar Singh (Haryana), Sandeep Singh (Haryana), Dhananjay Mahadik (Services), Gurbaj Singh (Air India) and Prabodh Tirkey (Air India). Midfielders: Arjun Halappa (Air India), Vikram Pillay (Air India), Ravi Pal (BPCL), Bharat Chikara (Indian Oil), Danish Mujtaba (UP) and Sarvanjit Singh (PSB). Forwards: Rajpal Singh (Indian Oil), Tushar Khandker (BPCL), Shivendra Singh (Air India), Dharamvir Singh (Indian Oil).
Hockey India also announced a 16-member women squad for the Games which has forward Surinder Kaur as Captain.
Unilke the men�s squad, women�s side has two custodians in Dipika Murty and Etimarpu Rajani.
Apart from Surinder, the squad has five other forwards including the latest Arjuna Awardee Jasjeet Kaur Handa.
The squad is packed with there defenders and and five mid-fielders.
�The team was selected after the trials conducted at Patiala in the presence of Hockey India Selectors Col. Balbir Singh and Sita Mehta besides Government Nominees Roopa Saini, Ajitpal Singh and Zafar Iqbal,� a statament from the sport body said.
Women squad: Goalkeepers: Dipika Murty and Etimarpu Rajani. Defenders: Binita Toppo, Subhadra Pradhan and Joydeep Kaur. Midfielders: Asunta Lakra, Kirandeep Kaur, Mukta Prava Barla, Deepika Thakur and Ritu Rani. Forwards: Surinder Kaur, Saba Anjum, Rani, Jasjeet Kaur Handa, Thokcham Chanchan Devi and Poonam Rani.
