All the players have expressed their disappointment after finding out about their dicey future in the national team through the media
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Representational image(Photo: IANS)
In a latest development, it is being reported that Hockey India is considering to get rid of at least four senior players from the Indian team after the conclusion of the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy starting later this month from October 27 onwards.
Cities of Jalandhar and Mohali, Punjab will host the 9th edition of the continental event which will welcome nations like China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Bangladesh who have replaced PakistanOman has been kept as a reserve team.
The Indian team will enter as the reigning champions, having won the previous edition two years ago after beating hosts China by 1-0India are also the most successful nation at the competition, winning five titles in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024.
Harmanpreet Singh and co are expected to win their sixth title this year and there are not many reasons as to why they cannotIndia are coming on the back of a sensational outing in the recently concluded Asian Games in Japan where they qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after securing a top spot finish on the podium.
While there’s plenty of buzz and excitement, there are also reports of four senior figures playing their final few matches at the Asian Champions TrophyAccording to PTI, those players are Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta Sharma.
Surprisingly, none of the players knew about this development until they found out through the media themselves and were left disappointed at the governing body for not informing them about this decision.
“We found out through the media ourselves, they (HI) should have at least informed us before making such a major decisionAfter winning gold medal for the country (at the Asian Games), we deserve at least that much respect,” an unnamed player told PTI.
Another player stated that he has been receiving dozens of calls everyday since the news of his retirement came out“I have been receiving a barrage of calls asking if I had decided to retire,”The player said that he was eager for future India assignments, especially after winning the Asian Games gold and that he was preparing hard for the LA Olympics in two years’ time.
“I was shocked because I had never said any such thing, we have been talking about preparing hard for the Los Angeles OlympicsSo, how did this happen suddenly? I have reached at this stage after a lot of hard work and was performing wellI was optimistic about future after the Asian Games gold,” the player added.
Another player stated that if his performances had been poor, then it would have been justified but that’s not the case“If my performance had been poor, I would have accepted this as the right decision, but that isn’t the case,” the player saidHe also said that he doesn’t have any answer to his parents, who are asking about reason behind his distress after the phone call“My parents are asking why I became upset after a phone call, but what can I tell them,” the player added.
It is also being reported that Hockey India are intending to revamp the men’s team and welcome a couple of new faces into the side before the LA OlympicsHowever, there seems to be no particular criteria for selection of the players.
One player also said that he was anyways planning to hang up his boots before the LA 2028 Olympics but being forced to retire is not an ideal situation for any player who has brought plenty of success.
“I was actually planning to retire before the Olympics, but I should have at least been kept in the loopSelection is not in our hands, we can only strive to perform well, but retiring with dignity is the right of every player who has won medals for the country,” the player said.
If the reports are true, then we could be seeing the last dances of Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta SharmaThe Asian Champions Trophy takes place from October 27 to November 5 at Jalandhar and Mohali.
