Arjun Halappa replaces Rajpal Singh as skipper of Indian Hockey team
In an unprecedented move, Hockey India (HI) has appointed fabled forward-man Arjun Halappa as skipper of the men’s national hockey team of India for upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, scheduled to be commenced on May 05, 2011.
On the other hand, HI has not included seasoned drag-flickers Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh in the probable players.
Halappa, who has been a part of the national squad from last eleven years, received one of the best deals of his long journey to become the captain of the Indian field hockey team. He was replaced with Rajpal Singh, who led the national squad in the World
Cup 2010, Commonwealth Games and the 16thedition of the Asiad.
Newly selected captain of the Indian hockey team, Halappa said that it was a great honour for him to lead the national team. However, he averted to make any promise regarding the future event saying that many of key players, including Rajpal Singh, Tushar
Khandker, Sardara and Sandeep Singh are missing from the squad.
Narinder Batra, the Secretary General of Hockey India, while speaking to the media, said that the name of Halappa for the captainship has been finalised by the selection committee. Halappa is a senior player and had great respect among the team members,
he added.
Hockey India after initial phase of the training camp held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium short-listed some 45 players for the upcoming Malaysia-based tournament. Batra was of the view that Sardara and Sandeep Sindh failed to get a place
in the probable list due to their non-participation in the training camp.
It is vital to mention here that the two seasoned players were contesting the Belgium Hockey League during the period of National Hockey Camp.
The HI Secretary was of the view that the two players had not informed in written form thus they asked for disciplinarily action against them. He stated, “But still we expected them to come in time for the camp which they didn't. It calls for disciplinary
action against them.”
Sardara Singh and Sandeep Singh, the two seasoned drag flickers, had also not taken the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from HI before signing up their contract with the Belgium Hockey League. This point further escalated the HI annoyance which constituted
a three-member committee to probe the matter. Legendary former hockey player, Pargat Singh will chair the disciplinary committee, comprising of Harbinder Singh and R. K. Srivastava.
The list of 45 probable players has been finalised by the HI selectors including B. P Govinda, Thoiba Singh, A. B Subbaiah, Syed Ali and Colonel Balbir Singh. Dilip Tirkey and Harbinder Singh, the government observers, assisted the selection committee in
finalising the names of probable players.
The final phase of the selection trials is scheduled to be held on April 18 and 19 to pick up the final eighteen players for the next month tournament.
It is pertaining to mention here that the Indian team won five editions of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup. Interestingly, South Korea and India were named joint successors of the 2010 version of the tournament due to weather issues.
India will face the host Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, Great Britain, Australia and Pakistan in the tournament. The Indian squad will took on South Korea in the opening game of the event.
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