Prabodh Tirkey to lead Indian hockey team

CHENNAI: Prabodh Tirkey will lead India in the Azlan Shah Hockey tournament being held at Ipoh, Malaysia from May 5 to 15. According to a press release by the Indian Hockey Federation here on Saturday, Vikram Kamath would substitute Ignace Tirkey, if the latter is found wanting on fitness.

The selectors have also named goal keeper, Sreejesh, defender Sunil Yadav and attackers Somanna and Bruno Logun as stand byes.

The 18-member team was picked in Bangalore by Gurbax Singh and Harmik Singh, IHF Selectors, Ajitpal Singh, Government Nominee, M M Somayya, Technical Director, Joaquim Carvalho, Chief Coach and Coaches, M Ramesh Parameswaran and M P Singh, besides R K Shetty, Camp coordinator of IHF.

K Jyothikumaran, secretary, Indian Hockey Federation said Dilip Tirkey and Gagan Ajit Singh, who were supposed to join the Bangalore camp, could not attend because of their engagements in the Netherlands professional league. They would be considered for selection for future tournaments, he said.

Meanwhile, Carvalho had earlier this morning said that that Logun has pulled his muscle and it would take some time for the dependable and nippy forward to recover fully. Goalkeeper Adrian D’souza and forward Hari Prasad who were part of the Asian Games team that performed badly, were left while Jharkhand boy Bimal Lakra made a comeback.

“If we keep up our present ranking amongst the teams that figure in the Olympic qualifier, India’s road to 2008 Beijing Olympics will be much easier,” he said Jyothikumaran.