Rajinder named senior
hockey team coach

Former Olympian and coach of the victorious junior World Cup-winning hockey team Rajinder Singh has been named coach of the senior India team for the upcoming tour of Australia.

Indian Hockey Federation secretary-general K Jyothikumaran said Rajinder would be assisted by N S Sodhi and A E Brient.

The mantle fell on Rajinder after C R Kumar, in charge of the team after Cedric D'Souza was unceremoniously sacked midway through the senior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, declined to take up the job.

The Australian tour is part of India's preparations for the Asian Games and the Champions Trophy later this year.

Jyothikumaran also announced a list of 30 probables for a training camp, to be held in Delhi from April 26. The list does not include star striker Dhanraj Pillay and young Len Aiyappa, who are both playing in the Malyasian league, Jude Menezes, who announced his retirement last month; captain of the senior World Cup team Baljit Singh Dhillon, Baljit Singh Saini and Lazarus Barla.

The probables include five goalkeepers, six full backs, eight half backs, 11 forwards.

Sampath Kumar of Services will be the trainer of the team.

The probables:

Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri (Karnataka), Devesh Chauhan (IOC), S.Sundram (Tamil Nadu), Kamaldeep Singh (ONGC), Manpreet Singh (Punjab Police).

Full-backs: Dilip Tirkey (IA), Kanwalpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh (PP), Khalco (Army), Dinesh Nayak (TN), Ronald Kiran (Kar).

Half-backs: Ignace Tirkey (Services). Prabhadeep Singh (PP), Vikram Pillay (AI), Arun Rawath (Kar), Sunil Yadav, Viren Rasquinha (IOC), Prabodh Tirkey, Bimal Lakra (IA).

Forwards: Tejbir Singh, Gagan Ajit Singh, Daljit Dhillon (PP), Iqbal Singh, Ajinder Pal Singh (Rlys), Anup Anthony (Kar), Sameer Dad (IA), Baljeet Singh Chandi (PSB), Prabhjot Singh, Deepak Thakur (IOC) and Sunil Ekka (Ser).

Trainer: Sampath Kumar (Services).