Hockey India names 54-member core probable group for senior men's national coaching camp

Following their performances at the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2025, held in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Hockey India has selected a core group of 54 players for the upcoming national camp. The camp will be held from April 25-30, 2025, during which the group will be assessed and subsequently pruned down to 40 players. The selected 40 players will then continue training in the next phase of the camp, scheduled from 1 to 25 May 2025.

Out of the 54 players, 38 have been retained from the existing core group. The rest have been drafted based on their impressive outings in the recent nationals, with players coming in from Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Punjab, UP Hockey, Hockey Bengal, and Manipur Hockey, as per a press release from Hockey India.

The players retained from the existing core group includes, Krishan B Pathak, Suraj Karkera, Pawan, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar, Amit Rohidas, Varun Kumar, Jugraj Singh, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Amandeep Lakra, Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Yashdeep Siwach, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Sumit, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Poovanna Chandura Boby, Rajinder Singh, Vishnu Kant Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Gurjant Singh, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Boby Singh Dhami, Selvam Karthi, Sunil Jojo, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Sudeep Chirmako, and Angad Bir Singh.

The newcomers called up for the camp include, Sanjay B, Ankit Malik, Pratap Lakra, Parmod, Dhanavade Mayur, Ali Ahmad, Aakib Rahim, Arjun Sharma, Yousuf Affan, Laishram Dipu Singh, Venkatesh Kenche, Gursahibjit Singh, Pardeep Singh, Ravi, Uttam Singh, and Maninder Singh.

This 54-member squad will undergo a week-long camp from April 25-30, after which it will be trimmed down to a 40-player group for the next phase of the camp, scheduled from May 1 to May 25.

Talking about the focus of the upcoming camp, Indian Men's Hockey Team Head Coach Craig Fulton said, "The main aim of this camp is to get everyone back on the field, back in the gym, and moving again. We have had a short break since the nationals, so it is about getting back to the basics. We have a mix of senior players, reserves, and some exciting new faces. This camp is a chance to trial the new players while also assessing where our senior and reserve players stand. We'll gradually build up to playing internal matches in a few days."

"Fitness will be a key focus, especially with the final leg of the Pro League coming up in June. This camp is going to be intense--not just physically but across all areas of the game. We're looking at fitness, gameplay, and sharpening overall preparedness," he added.

Speaking on the role of junior and new players in this camp, Fulton said, "There is definitely a focus on identifying and developing younger talent. This camp gives us a closer look at some promising junior and new players. At the same time, we are also focusing on reinforcing structure and consistency among our senior group. It is about blending experience with potential and preparing everyone for the road ahead."

Notably, the Indian team will also play friendly games in Ireland ahead of the Pro League. "We would not be playing any official tournament before the Pro League, but we are planning a training camp in Ireland. The team will play three friendly matches there. It is going to be an important build-up and a good opportunity to get match-ready in a competitive setting," Fulton said.