Ekka to lead India in Junior Asia Cup hockey

NEW DELHI: Defender Anmol Ekka will lead an 18-member Indian men's hockey team at the AHF Junior Asia Cup to be held in Moqi, China, from August 30 to September 13.

The Hockey India selectors also named two alternate players for the tournament in Arjun Santosh Hargude and Ritik Lakra. The squad is currently training at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru under the guidance of newly-appointed coach Frederic Soyez.

As part of their build-up to the tournament, the team recently completed a productive exposure tour of Belgium, where they competed against strong opposition.

The tour offered the players valuable match experience and key takeaways, enabling the squad to assess their progress, refine their combinations and further strengthen their preparations ahead of the AHF Junior Asia Cup.

The team is gaining further competitive exposure through friendly matches against the Malaysian U-21 team at the SAI centre in Bengaluru.

"We are pleased with the balance and depth of the squad selected for the Junior Asia Cup. The players have worked hard over the past few months, showing commitment, discipline and a strong desire to improve. Selection was based on consistent performances, attitude and the ability to execute our game plan under pressure," coach Soyez said in a release.

"It will be a highly competitive tournament. Our focus will be on playing disciplined, attacking hockey while staying true to our structure."