Bharat Chetri to lead Indian hockey team in London Olympics

Goalkeeper Bharat Chetri will continue to lead the Indian hockey team in the London Olympics, starting July 27, while Sardar Singh will be his deputy.

Hockey India announced the names of 16 players who will represent India in the London Games 2012 and there will be 2 standby players who will be staying in the Olympic Village with the team, but can only be included in case of any serious injury amongst the 16 players.

Eight-time Olympic Champions India will start their campaign against the Netherlands on 30 July 2012 in the men`s hockey competition of London Olympic Games.

India are in Pool B, alongwith Germany, Korea, New Zealand, Belgium and Netherlands in Pool B, will play their next match on 1 August 2012 against the New Zealand.

India, which won its first Olympic gold medal in 1928, will next take on the current Olympic Champions Germany on 3 August 2012, before playing against Korea on 4 August 2012. India will play Belgium in their last preliminary match on 7 August 2012.

The matches will be played at the Riverbank Arena of the Olympic Park. All the matches will be played on blue artificial turf with yellow kookaburra balls. The pitch has pink runways. The match schedule is also attached herewith.

Before reaching the Olympic Games village in London on 19 July 2012, Team India will be finalizing their preparations with a three week tour in France and Spain. Team India will travel to France and Spain on 26 June 2012 to play test matches and a 3 Nation Invitational Tournament.

INDIAN HOCKEY TEAM

Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri (Captain), P R Sreejesh

Full Backs: V R Raghunath, Ignace Tirkey, Sandeep Singh

Half Backs: Sardar Singh (Vice Captain), Gurbaj Singh, Birendra Lakra, Manpreet Singh

Forwards: S.V Sunil, Gurwinder Singh Chandi, Shivendra Singh, Danish Mujtaba, Tushar Khandker, Dharamvir Singh, S. K Uthappa,

Standby: Sarvanjit Singh, Kothajit Singh