Dilip, Gagan to consider for Champions Challege despite missing camp

New Delhi, May 4 (UNI) Despite skipping Bangalore camp in the run up to Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, Asian Games hockey captain Dilip Tirkey and ace forward Gagan Ajit Singh will be called for the preparatory camp for next national assignment, IHF chief KPS Gill said today.

Tirkey and Gagan did not turned up for a camp last month due to their club commitments in Germany.

In Dilip's absence Praboddh Tirkey was appointed to lead a young team which have some new faces besides a new coach in Joaquim Carvalho who took over from Vasudevan Baskaran a month ago.

India open campaign in the eight nation tournament in Ipoh in Malaysia with a match against formidable Australia tomorrow.

''They will be included in the next preparatory camp,'' Mr Gill said when asked about Tirkey and Gagan's future at the sidelines of an invitational six-a-side school hockey tournament here.

The IHF chief said the hockey fans should not expect much from the team in Malaysia.

''Don't expect much from the young team we have sent there. Let's see how things go,'' Gill said.

Azlan Shah tourney will be India's first international outing after the disastrous Asian Games in Doha where India failed to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time in the history of the continental sports extravaganza.

India's next assignment after Azlan Shah will be six-nation Champions Challenge tournament in Belgium from June 23 to July 1. Argentina, Japan, England, New Zealand and hosts Belgium are the other teams in the tournament.

Mr Gill said India need to find more drag-flickers as ''we cannot depend on a single player all the time.'' He was non committal when asked whether Carvalho will be the national coach till Beijing Olympics or not, saying that ''it is not possible to comment now as he (Carvalho) has just taken over.'' UNI PDS SSC VV1852