Amir Ali to lead Indian Jr hockey team in Sreejesh's coaching debut at Sultan of Johor Cup

Bengaluru: Amir Ali has been named captain, with Rohit as his deputy, in the 18-member junior hockey squad for the Sultan of Johor Cup that will mark the first assignment for head coach PR Sreejesh in Malaysia from October 19.

India will begin their campaign against Japan on October 19, followed by matches against Great Britain (October 20), hosts Malaysia (Oct 22), Australia (Oct 23) and New Zealand (Oct 25).

The top two teams will make the final slated for October 26.

Defender Amir Ali and forward Gurjot Singh were part of the senior team that defended their title at the Asian Champions Trophy in Moqi, China.

Amir seamlessly filled in for the injured defender Sanjay during the tournament, while Gurjot led the forward line, showcasing immense potential.

"The Sultan of Johor Cup is an important tournament in our calendar as always. The tournament will serve as a litmus test for the team ahead of the Men’s Junior Asia Cup Muscat 2024 in November this year," captain Ali stated in a Hockey India release.

"All the players are excited to play some intense hockey matches in Malaysia.” Vice -captain Rohit expressed enthusiasm at being coached by Sreejesh, saying, “We have an Indian hockey legend taking charge of the team, the whole team is raring to go. PR Sreejesh is one of the most experienced players to play for India, and we look forward to making him proud in our first tournament.

"The mood in the camp has been excellent and we want to capitalise on this by showcasing our potential at the Sultan of Johor Cup.”

Squad: Goalkeepers: Bikramjit Singh, Ali Khan Defenders: Amir Ali (C), Talem Priyobarta, Shardanand Tiwari, Sukhvinder, Anmol Ekka, Rohit (VC)

Midfielders: Ankit Pal, Manmeet Singh, Rosan Kujur, Mukesh Toppo, Chandan Yadav

Forwards: Gurjot Singh, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Dilraj Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Konain Dad.