Hockey India has announced the 16 member squads of the Men and Women Hockey Teams that will represent Team India at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Sardar Singh, the face of men's hockey for quite some time, was replaced as the captain for the Rio Olympics by PR Sreejesh. While on the women's side, Ritu Rani was sacked from the team on disciplinary ground. Instead, young Sushila Chanu was chosen to lead the Olympic debutants.
And even though Sardar insisted he wasn't disappointed, his face told a different story. The ousted captain of the tried to keep poker face. But he looked visibly shaken by the recent turn of events. Till a month ago, he was seen as an undisputed leader of a team constantly punching above its weight. But a dip in form on field and controversies off it saw his stock fall. And it plummeted to its lowest on Tuesday, when he was stripped off the captaincy for the Rio Games.
At least Sardar managed to hold on to his position in the Rio-bound squad. His counterpart in the women's team - Ritu Rani - was nowhere to be seen. One of the senior-most players who has been instrumental in the team ending its three-decade wait to take part in the Olympics, Rani was not only sacked as the captain but also omitted from the team owing to her poor attitude and fitness.
She left the national camp in Bangalore last week in a huff upon learning her fate, possibly bringing an abrupt end to her remarkable career.
Narinder Batra, Hockey India president, says the selections were made purely on merit. "Reputation is your perspective. We had certain set parameters to select the team and have stuck to it," he says.
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Being the largest contingent from India at the Olympics all eyes are set on the Indian Hockey teams to push hard and put India on the Olympic podium.
The mens hockey squad has risen consistently up the world rankings since the Asian Games in 2014. Ranked 13 in the world after the London Olympics, the team is now poised at No.5 after their heroics at the recently concluded FIH Champions Trophy.
The mens squad features a formidable defense line-up, with experienced campaigners V.R Raghunath, Rupinder Pal Singh and Kothajit Singh. Harmanpreet Singh and Surender Kumar provide the youth to the backline. The midfield combination is strong with Danish Mujtaba, Chinglensana Singh, Manpreet Singh, S.K Uttappa, Devinder Walmiki and Sardar Singh all selected in the team. Strikers S.V Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Nikkin Thimmaiah promise to add steam to the line-up. In-form PR Sreejesh is the teams goalkeeper and Captain.
The womens team includes the experience of Deepika Thakur, Sunita Lakra, Sushila Chanu, Namita Toppo and Deep Grace Ekka in defense. In the midfield Renuka Llima Minz, Monika, Navjot Kaur and Nikki Pradhan have all been selected. The forward line includes Rani, Poonam Rani, Vandana Katariya, Anuradha Devi Thockchom and Preeti Dubey. The team is supported in the goals by Savita.
This will be the first time in 36 years that the womens team from India will be participating at the Olympic Games and the womens squad will vie to make the most of this opportunity.
