New Delhi, April 20 (NationPress) - Hockey India has officially revealed a roster of 84 players (42 Men and 42 Women) set to participate in the upcoming U-18 National Coaching Camp, which will commence at SAI Bhopal.

The selection was made following the recent completion of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior National Championships.

To maintain exceptional performance standards, the initial group of 42 players will be reduced to 24 after a week of assessment, who will then engage in a rigorous training regimen as part of their final preparations for the Men’s and Women’s U18 Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Japan, scheduled from May 29 to June 6.

A key feature of this camp will be an exposure series at SAI Bhopal, where both the Indian Men’s and Women’s U-18 teams will participate in practice matches against Australia's U-18 teams from May 11 to 21. This camp will serve as the ultimate selection opportunity for the squads representing India in the U18 Asia Cup.

Leading the Women's camp is Rani Rampal, while the Men's camp will be overseen by Sardar Singh and Rajnish Mishra.

Men's coach Sardar Singh highlighted the significance of this initiative by Hockey India, stating, "This camp is an excellent opportunity to cultivate the next generation of talent. Our primary goal will be to fortify their foundational skills while acquainting them with the tactical intricacies of contemporary hockey. I perceive immense potential in this group, and we may witness several of these players donning the national jersey at senior levels over the next decade or so. The forthcoming series against Australia will provide these young athletes with invaluable experience of international competition."

Women's coach Rani Rampal commented, "Our objective in Bhopal is to enhance both individual skills and team dynamics. The exposure matches against Australia will be a remarkable chance for the girls to challenge themselves against a top-tier team. This is the most effective way to prepare them for the Asia Cup and future competitions. These young players represent the future of our sport, and we aim to cultivate the resilience needed to excel at the highest levels for many years ahead."

The men's squad of 42 players notably includes a robust representation from Uttar Pradesh (7), followed closely by Madhya Pradesh (6), and Punjab (4). Furthermore, there are 3 players each from Odisha, Jharkhand, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (DDD), while Bihar, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Tamil Nadu contribute 2 players each. Other states contributing a player include Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan.

The women's squad is led by 8 players from Jharkhand, with Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Odisha each contributing 5 players. Uttar Pradesh has 4 representatives, while Haryana, Bihar, and Mizoram each contribute 3 players. Manipur is represented by 2 players, with Maharashtra, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu contributing 1 player each.

List of Sub Junior Men Players (National Coaching Camp):

Goalkeepers: Ayush Rajak (Madhya Pradesh), Birender Kumar (DDD), Vishal Bada (Odisha), Sawan Kumar (Bihar)

Defenders: Ansh Bahutra (Madhya Pradesh), Nitish Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Ashish Tani Purti (Jharkhand), Abhay Shah (Bihar), Deepakprakash Toppo (Odisha)

Midfielders: Avi Manikpuri (Madhya Pradesh), Romit Pal (Uttar Pradesh), Rahul Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Karan Dhanuk (Uttar Pradesh), Parvesh Kumar Yadav (DDD), Sahil Duhan (Chandigarh), Arhdip Singh (Punjab), Varinder Singh (Punjab), Gursimranpreet Singh (Punjab), Premchand Soy (Jharkhand), Punit (Haryana), Jatin (Haryana), Arman Soreng (Odisha), Varunpreet Singh (Jammu & Kashmir), Aamod Santosh (Maharashtra), Manish Singh Kunwar (Tamil Nadu), M Kavisakthibose (Tamil Nadu), Daksh (Himachal Pradesh)

Forwards: Siddharth Ben (Madhya Pradesh), Karan Gautam (Madhya Pradesh), Gazee Khan (Madhya Pradesh), Prahalad Rajbhar (Uttar Pradesh), Ketan Kushwaha (Uttar Pradesh), Ajay Yadav (DDD), Arjandeep Singh (Chandigarh), Akash Deep (Punjab), Jaysan Kandulna (Jharkhand), Harsh Kumar Goutme (Telangana), Shashank Kumar (Arunachal Pradesh), Adarsh Govind (Karnataka), Om Kumar Yadav (Chhattisgarh), Chirag Saini (Rajasthan), Shahrukh Ali (Uttar Pradesh)

List of Sub Junior Women Players (National Coaching Camp):

Goalkeepers: Khili Kumari (Jharkhand), Mahak Parihar (Madhya Pradesh), Harry (Punjab)

Defenders: Radhika (Haryana), Preety Bilung (Jharkhand), Sugan Sanga (Jharkhand), Nilam Topno (Jharkhand), Kiran Ekka (Odisha), Sonam Yadav (Bihar), Shalini Singh (Madhya Pradesh), Sulochani (Punjab), Rashmeen Kaur (Punjab), Anvi Rawat (Maharashtra), Ankita Lakra (Jharkhand), Shivani Kumari (Bihar), Rupam Kumari (Bihar)

Midfielders: Divya Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Sneha Davde (Madhya Pradesh), Tongbram Lanchenbi Devi (Manipur), Pushpa Manjhi (Jharkhand), Nancy Saroha (Haryana), Rubina Baxla (Odisha), Kaligota Veena (Telangana), Akansh Mitra (Uttar Pradesh), Lovepreet Kaur (Punjab), Laminganbi Akoijam (Manipur), Akshra Dutta (Jammu & Kashmir)

Forwards: Sandeepa Kumari (Jharkhand), Nammi Geethasri (Madhya Pradesh), Nousheen Naz (Madhya Pradesh), Diya (Haryana), Vaishali Sen (Uttar Pradesh), Shruti Kumari (Jharkhand), Harshita (Punjab), Princess Priya Ekka (Odisha), Priyanka Minz (Odisha), Sweety Kujur (Odisha), K Vanlalpeki (Mizoram), Laldinpuii (Mizoram), C Malsawmzeli (Mizoram), Arika Kumari (Uttar Pradesh), Jonisha Defny MJ (Tamil Nadu)