New Delhi, Jul 27 (IANS): Hockey India on Thursday announced the 20-member Indian junior men’s hockey team that will participate in a 4-Nation Tournament from August 18 to 22 at Dusseldorf, Germany..

India will play against England, Spain, and hosts Germany in the tournament, which will be part of the team’s preparations for the all-important FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 to be played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from December 5-16 this year.

The team will be led by talismanic forwards Uttam Singh, as captain, and Boby Singh Dhami, as vice-captain.

The team includes players like defender Sharda Nand Tiwari and Araijeet Singh Hundal, who have some experience playing at the senior level.

Speaking on the tour, the Indian men’s junior hockey team Coach C.R Kumar said, “We have been training hard in preparation for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 and have identified some areas of improvement. The 4 Nations Tournament is the perfect opportunity to see if our plans are feasible.”

“Encountering high-pressure match situations at the 4 Nations Tournament will help the team improve the composure of the team. This event will also serve as a crucial means to pinpoint areas of improvement.

"We believe that this tournament will set the bar for the performance of the team. This is our first exposure to European teams and playing against them will help to evaluate the team's performance against these quality opponents," he signed off.

Indian Team:

Goalkeepers: Mohith H.S., Ranvijay Singh Yadav. Defenders: Sharda Nand Tiwari, Rohit, Amandeep Lakra, Amir Ali, Waribam Niraj Kumar Singh, Yogember Rawat. Midfielders: Poovanna C.B, Vishnukant Singh, Rajinder Singh, Amandeep, Sunit Lakra, Chetan Sharma, Amit Kumar Yadav.

Forwards: Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami (VC), Uttam Singh (C), Sudeep Chirmako.