Olympic bronze medallist Sanjay will lead a 20-member young Indian men’s hockey team on a three-match New Zealand tour from November 15 to 23 to celebrate 100 years of sporting ties between the two nations
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India’s Jugraj Singh celebrates after scoring a goal during the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 final between India and Japan at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, Punjab, on Thursday, November 05, 2026(Photo: IANS)
Olympic bronze medallist Sanjay will captain a young Indian men’s hockey team on a three-match tour of New Zealand from November 15 to 23The tour will mark 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries, with India set to play the hosts in Auckland.
The three matches will take place on November 19, 21 and 22 at the Lloyd Elsmore Hockey StadiumThe tour also commemorates the historic 1926 visit of an Indian Army hockey team, which featured legendary player Major Dhyan ChandIt was the first Indian team from any sport to tour New Zealand.
Hockey India announced a 20-member squad on Monday, with a mix of emerging Under-21 players and members of the current India A setupThe tour will give several young players an opportunity to gain international experience and test themselves against a quality opponent.
Chief coach Craig Fulton said the matches would help the coaching staff assess the young players and their progress against a strong New Zealand side playing on home soil.
“The squad is a blend of some upcoming under-21 players and the core of the current India A groupThese matches come at the right time to challenge the squad in three matches against a solid New Zealand team playing at home,” Fulton said.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said the tour would celebrate a century of sporting friendship between the two nations while giving young Indian players a chance to showcase their abilities at the international level.
The squad includes Mohith HS and Pawan as the two goalkeepersCaptain Sanjay will lead the defence, which also features Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Sharda Nand Tiwari, Talem Priyobarta, Anmol Ekka and Yashdeep Siwach.
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Angad Bir Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Rabichandra Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Manmeet Singh, Rosan Kujur and Venkatesh Kenche will form the midfield.
The forward line includes Ajeet Yadav, Uttam Singh, Karthi Selvam, Arshdeep Singh and Araijeet Singh Hundal.
The tour comes after India’s recent success at the Asian Champions Trophy, where the team continued its strong record in the continental competitionIndia defeated China 4-1 in the final to win their fifth title, extending their position as the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
The victory also provided a boost to Indian hockey ahead of the next international assignments, with the New Zealand tour offering younger players a chance to build on that momentum.
