Olympic medallists Sanjay, Varun included in India ‘A’ hockey team for China tour
Olympic bronze medallists Varun Kumar and Sanjay will headline the 20-member India ‘A’ men’s hockey team during the five-match China tour in Jiangsu province, Changzhou City starting October 12.
The team will be captained by Paris Olympics bronze medallist Sanjay, who is a defender as well as a dragflicker.
Besides Sanjay, the other big name that features in the squad is Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Varun, who is also a dragflicker and defender.
The matches will be played against Gansu club and is part of Hockey India’s plans to provide exposure to the development team.
The team, which leaves tonight, features goalkeepers Pawan, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar, defenders Poovanna Chandura Boby, Varun Kumar, Amandeep Lakra, Sanjay, Yashdeep Siwach, Sukhvinder, Parmod and the midfield includes Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen, Rajkumar Pal, Maninder Singh and Venkatesh Dhananjay Kenche.
The forwardline will feature Angad Bir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Uttam Singh, Selvam Karthi and Aditya Arjun Lalage, who all have featured for the senior nation side.
Speaking about the China tour, India’s chief coach Craig Fulton said, “This is part of our plans to expand the talent pool for the senior men’s team by providing the right amount of experience and exposure for the players in the India ‘A’ squad particularly ahead of a very busy year in 2026.
“We will be closely monitoring the progress of the players in this squad and see how well they adapt to pressure situations and perform.” Former India striker Shivendra Singh, who will be travelling with the team as coach, added, “We are looking forward to being in Hangzhou and gaining good experience. This squad has been training together for a past few weeks and has gelled well as a unit. They are now eager to gain some match experience.” Meanwhile, the India ‘A’ women’s team left on Friday for their five-match China tour.
It will be playing matches against Liaoning on their home turf in Liaoning Sports Centre from October 13 to 21.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Pawan, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar Defenders: Poovanna Chandura Boby, Varun Kumar, Amandeep Lakra, Sanjay, Yashdeep Siwach, Sukhvinder, Parmod Midfielders: Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen, Rajkumar Pal, Maninder Singh, Venkatesh Dhananjay Kenche Forwards: Angad Bir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Uttam Singh, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage.
Published on Oct 10, 2025