Indian men’s hockey squad for Tokyo Olympics: Brave selection for the biggest stage of them all | Tokyo Olympics News – Times of India

When Hockey India pinned the men’s team for Tokyo Games on Twitter, Olympic fans searched for their favourites and hockey experts matched the squad with their own short-lists. Then, the reactions followed.
It started with an expected layman question. “Why 16 players? Aren’t there 18 in a hockey squad?” These questions are repeated and replied to every four years. So here’s the reply again: At the Olympics, the rule is that a country can field a squad of only 16 players.
“One goalkeeper!” The next exclamatory response was followed by a ‘surprise’ emoticon. But it’s not a thought without concern and some believe a move that might be fraught with danger, which is not illogical either.
But with squad strength limited to 16, coaches and selectors across international teams are left with no choice when it comes to picking Olympic teams. They are forced to include just one goalkeeper, which in India’s case is the veteran PR Sreejesh. The back-up, Krishan Pathak, will be part of the stand-bys and travel with the team.
Sreejesh will mark his third Olympic appearance overall in Tokyo.

The risk this move carries is that in case unfortunately the only goalkeeper in the team breaks down in the middle of a game, a player will have to pad up and guard the post. It’s been the same with all Olympics hockey squads over the years, who train one player for the job. VR Raghunath had been assigned that role for India at the Rio Olympics.
Those in the know told Timesofindia.com that India are yet to prepare a player for that role. The Olympics begin on July 23.
If the coaches opt for an extra goalkeeper in the 16, it also limits their options for roll-over substitutions, for which there is no limit in modern 60-minute hockey spread over four quarters.
The stand-by ‘keeper can be drafted into the squad only from the next game in case the regular ‘keeper is allowed to be replaced in the squad.
RUPINDER GETS THE TICKET
Most people were chuffed with the inclusion of another veteran, drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh. Injuries had kept Rupinder out of the squad in different time phases but the Covid-forced break came as a blessing in disguise for the 30-year-old defender. He got time to recuperate and launch a comeback.

He was distraught when overlooked for the Arjuna by the awards committee, but returned stronger for his likely last hurrah, which will now be at the biggest stage.
Interestingly, the man who was picked for the Arjuna after that meeting, the experienced striker Akashdeep Singh, hasn’t found a place in the final 16. Worse, he isn’t part of the stand-bys either.
Other than goalkeeper Pathak, defender Varun Kumar and attacking midfielder Simranjit Singh are among the reserves.
Another player that many felt should have been part of the squad is SV Sunil. He, like Akashdeep, has also been overlooked, which means two seasoned names missing from the list of strikers.
After missing the 2018 World Cup, this has come as a body blow for Sunil, who carries 14 years of international experience under his belt.

Sharing his thoughts on the team selection, India head coach Graham Reid said, “It has not been an easy process to make the final selection of 16 players as there is a lot of quality and ambition in this group of players. The performance levels of all the athletes are at an optimum level and more importantly they work well together.”
CHALLENGE FOR A YOUNG ATTACK WITHOUT SUNIL, AKASHDEEP
The list of forwards included in the squad are Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay and Mandeep Singh. None of them have played at the Olympics before and have largely played together as an attacking line in national camps only due to the pandemic.
But like Manpreet Singh in the midfield and Rupinder and BirendrA Lakra in defence, the front-line too needed a mix of youth and experience that it perhaps sorely misses.
There is no reason to believe that this attacking line can’t click. However, at the same time, it also gives you reason to fear that it might buckle under big-day and big-match pressure.
Apart from Mandeep and Lalit, the other three haven’t experienced international pressure as much as the Olympic squad would like to feed on. That is a worry. But surely coach Reid would have enough tricks up his sleeve to use them effectively in the formation he has introduced since taking over the reins from Harendra Singh in 2019.
Among the 16, there are 10 players who will make their Olympic debut in Tokyo.

DEFENCE THE STRONG POINT
The best feature of the squad on paper is its defence.
The back-line manned by Rupinder, Lakra, Surender Kumar and Harmanpreet Singh, along with the young Amit Rohidas, has an experience that could be other teams’ envy and skills to foil any international attack. But besides that, the form of Rupinder and Harmanpreet on drag-flicks could hold the key to India’s progress in Tokyo.
Surender has developed into India’s Mr. Reliable in defence. He provides the calm in tense situations and is the perfect ally to his senior colleagues.
But while guarding India’s goal, the defenders would need the forwards to strike. It will ease pressure on the back-line and give India a better chance to go deeper into the tournament against opponents who will come to Tokyo with more competitive hours under their belt compared to the eight-time champions.
INDIA SQUAD
Goalkeeper: PR Sreejesh
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Birendra Lakra
Midfielders: Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit
Forwards: Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh
Standbys: Krishan Pathak (goalkeeper), Varun Kumar (defender) and Simranjit Singh (midfielder)