Prabodh to lead 18 member team in the Champions Challenge Cup

Bangalore, June 2 (UNI) Midfielder Prabodh Tirkey will lead the country in the six-nation Champions Challenge Cup to be held in Boom, Belgium from June 23 to July One.

Defender Dilip Tirkey, who missed the bus for Malaysia due to his previous commitments abroad, has been included in the 18 member squad announced here today by Indian Hockey Federation President K P S Gill.

Mr Gill said the team would leave on June 11. They would play four exhibition matches in Germany before proceeding to Belgium.

The players have been camping at the Sports Authority of India facility here after earning the Bronze at the Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy from May 23 under the guidance of new coach Carvalho.

For the first time, the IHF has roped in former badminton National Coach Ganguly Prasad for Physical training to the players.

The team: Adrian Dsouza, Baljit Singh William Xalco, Sandip Singh, Dilip Tirkey, Sunil Yadav, Gurbaz Singh, Bimal Lakra, Sardara Singh, Vikram Kanth, Prabodh Tirkey (Capt), Rajpal Singh, Bharath Chikkara, Roshan Minz, Tushar Khandekar, Shivender Singh, Prabhjot Singh and Damandeep Singh, Standbyes: Bharat Chetri, Raghuanth, Ajitesh Rai, Yudiwir Singh, and Sunil Kumar.

Chief Coach, Joaquim Carvalho, Coach: N P Singh,, Asst Coach Video Analyst M Ramesh Parameswaran. Manager: R K Shetty.

The other teams in the Champions trophy are, Argentina (ranked 8th), England (9th), New Zealand (10th), Japan (12th) and the hosts Belgium (13th).

UNI