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Maharashtra hockey team to Europe

The Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA) and the Government of Maharashtra, in association with Acosa, will take a select Maharashtra team on a hockey tour of Europe from September 7 to 27.

At a press conference in Bombay yesterday evening, it was informed that the team will also participate in an international tournament, involving club teams from The Netherlands, Germany and England, at Hague. The tournament, to be held from September 15 to 20, offer prize-money of 10,000 dollars.

This is the first instance that a state team from India will participate in a tournament outside the country.

The tour commences with matches against the Dutch 'A'' team on September 8 and 9.

Deposed India captain Dhanraj Pillay will lead the team, while former India goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi will be the coach and Gopal Pandey, assistant coach.

Forty players have been called for a training camp, to be held from August 20 to September 4. The final 16 will be chosen by the captain and the two coaches on September 4.

Though this is a Maharashtra team, the probables either hail from Bombay or play their hockey in the city. Anil Aldrin, Rajesh Chauhan, Sabu Varkey, Jude Menezes, Cornelius D'Costa, Sandeep Somesh and Gavin Ferreira are among the notable players invited for the camp.

The team will leave The Netherlands on the morning of September 7.

UNI