Bhopal, May 21 (IANS) Hockey India on Wednesday announced the 18-member U-18 men’s squad for the upcoming Men’s U18 Asia Cup slated to take place from May 29 to June 6 in Kakamigahara, Japan.

The squad was selected after a rigorous National Coaching Camp at Udhav Das Mehta (Bhai ji) Central Centre at SAI Bhopal under the team’s coaching staff consisting of Sardar Singh and Rajnish Mishra.

The tournament format places India in Pool A alongside South Korea, hosts Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Kazakhstan. The Indian team will kick off their pool-stage campaign on the opening day, May 29, against Kazakhstan, before taking on hosts Japan on May 31. They will then face South Korea on June 1 and wrap up their group matches against Chinese Taipei on June 3.

Following the grueling group stage, the top two teams from Pool A and Pool B will advance directly to the crucial semi-finals scheduled for June 5, with the tournament concluding with the final on June 6.The team’s preparations included a high-profile four-match series against the Australia U-18 team in Bhopal as part of an exposure tour. Forward Ketan Kushwaha will captain the Asia Cup side as they fly out to compete against Asia’s top youth teams.

Gearing up for the tournament, the Indian team won one match against Australia U18 and lost one. Two matches ended up as drawn affairs.

Commenting on the final squad for the tournament, coach Sardar Singh said, “The selection process was incredibly competitive, but we have picked an 18-member squad that gives us the perfect tactical balance. Our training in Bhopal and the exposure matches against a top-tier side like Australia gave these boys a great understanding of international pressure and match tempo.

“We have spent the last few weeks working heavily on our tactical discipline, penalty corner routines, and structure. The boys are in high spirits; and going into a major tournament like the Asia Cup, our objective is clear—we want to execute our plans effectively, top our group and put ourselves in the best possible position to bring home the trophy.”

Indian U-18 Men’s Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sawan Kumar, Ayush Rajak

Defenders: Ansh Bahutra, Arman Soreng, Ashish Tani Purti, Arshdip Singh, Avi Manikpuri, Romit Pal

Midfielders: Rahul Yadav, Premchand Soy, Varinder Singh, Karan Gautam, Siddharth Ben

Forwards: Ketan Kushwaha (Captain), Akash Deep, Gazee Khan, Shahrukh Ali, Prahalad Rajbhar

–IANS

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