PTI

Chennai, Aug 18: Experienced mid-fielder Ignace Tirkey made a comeback to the Indian hockey team as an 18-member squad was announced here today for the World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany, next month.

Ignace, who was out of action for several months because of injury, replaced Namdhari mid-fielder Ajmer Singh.

Young linkman Nitin Kumar was rewarded for his good showing in the six-nation junior tournament in Poland earlier this year and received a call-up for the national team in place of Bimal Lakra, who skipped the World Cup preparatory camp citing domestic pre-occupations.

Besides the two changes, the whole team that won the bronze medal in the eight-nation Azlan Shah tournament remain unchanged for the World Cup to be held from September 6 to 17.

Squad: Goal-keepers: Adrian D'Souza, Bharat Kumar Chetri.

Full backs: Dilip Tirkey, Sandeep Singh, Kanwalpreet Singh.

Mid-fielders: V S Vinay, Vikram Pillay, Prabodh tirkey, Viren Rasquinha, Nitin Kumar, Ignace Tirkey.

Forwards: Gagan Ajit Singh, Tejbir Singh, Rajpal Singh, Tushar Khandekar, Shivendra Singh, Arjun Halappa, Hari Prasad.

Chief coach: V Baskaran, Coach: Harendra Singh, Physio: Ravi Kanakamedala, Trainer: Derek Knox, Manager: S P Das,

Videographer: S Ramakrishnan.