Hockey India selection committee chairman hints at overhaul after Asia Cup 2025, says ‘two to four players’ on borderline
Hockey India is preparing for a new era as it looks to the future of the sport. Selection trials for the Junior World Cup 2025 will be held on September 13 at SAI Bengaluru, as confirmed by RP Singh, chairman of Hockey India’s selection committee.
The trials follow a successful European tour for the junior team, and Singh is optimistic about its potential.
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“We have a lot of good junior players, and we believe they can give us a medal,” he told Sportstar on the sidelines of Asia Cup 2025. He highlighted that six to eight of these players are “exceptional talents” who could potentially join the senior squad after the World Cup.
India will also host the 14th edition of the men’s under-21 World Championship in Chennai and Madurai. The event, which will run from November 28 to December 10, will feature a record 24 nations.
New blood for the senior team?
For the ongoing Asia Cup, veterans and two-time Olympic bronze medallists Shamsher Singh, Gurjant Singh, and Nilakanta Sharma were left out, in favour of younger talent like Rajinder Singh and Shilanand Lakra.
The chairman emphasised the need to take tough decisions to field a competitive team that can end India’s five-decade-long World Cup medal drought.
“After the Olympics, three [senior] players have been left out of the squad. There are two to four players on the borderline who are not performing up to the mark. After the Asia Cup, we will see. We will select the probables for the World Cup with the inputs from the coach and the coaching staff,” he explained.
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He noted that while the players are always respected, selections will be based on current performance, and not past achievements.
“Sometimes, we must make some tough decisions to put forth the best interest of the country first. Players are the most important for us, and we always want to give them the respect they deserve, but we can only judge based on their current performance and not past deeds or names,” he added.
India faces a packed schedule over the next 14 months, with two high-stakes tournaments — the World Cup and the Asia Cup — slated to take place within three weeks of each other. Singh, however, isn’t concerned about the tight turnaround between tournaments and said the committee is not considering fielding two separate squads.
The selection process will be holistic, taking into account players’ performances in the Pro League, the Australia tour, and the Asia Cup.
“Whatever is best for the country, Hockey India will take that decision. We will select the best possible players available for the two tournaments,” Singh concluded.
Published on Sep 07, 2025