Hockey India Names 36-Member Core Group for Bengaluru Camp as India Eye World Cup and Asian Games Glory
Hockey India has named a 36-member core probable group for the Senior Men's National Coaching Camp, to be held at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru from April 20 to May 9, 2026.
The camp marks the beginning of a crucial preparation phase for the Indian team, with a demanding international season ahead that includes the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2025-26, the Hockey World Cup, and the Asian Games three of the most significant events on the global hockey calendar.
The decision to convene a large 36-member group reflects the national coaching staff's intent to assess depth across all departments, build tactical cohesion, and give fringe players a genuine opportunity to stake their claim for places in a squad that will need to fire on all fronts over the coming months. The camp will centre on conditioning, match-simulation sessions, and the kind of combination-building that separates teams who merely compete at major tournaments from those who contend for titles.
In goal, Hockey India has assembled a well-balanced unit that blends established experience with emerging promise. Krishan Bahadur Pathak, one of India's most reliable shot-stoppers in recent years, headlines the group alongside Suraj Karkera and Pawan. The inclusion of Mohith H.S. and Princedeep Singh signals that the coaching staff are keeping an eye on the longer-term goalkeeping pipeline, ensuring that India's options between the posts remain deep and competitive.
The defensive unit is anchored by two of Indian hockey's most imposing figures captain Harmanpreet Singh and vice-captain Amit Rohidas. Harmanpreet, widely regarded as one of the world's best drag-flickers, brings both leadership and a match-winning weapon that opposition defences have consistently struggled to contain. Rohidas provides the defensive intelligence and set-piece nous that complement Harmanpreet's attacking threat from the backline. Around them, the coaching staff has assembled a varied group that includes the experienced Jarmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh alongside younger options such as Yashdeep Siwach, Poovanna C.B., Nilam Sanjeep Xess and Amandeep Lakra names who will be eager to make lasting impressions during the three-week camp.
The midfield, always the engine room of India's best performances, features a richly talented blend of experience and energy. Manpreet Singh, the former captain whose reading of the game and ability to dictate tempo remain invaluable, lines up alongside the dynamic Hardik Singh and the technically gifted Vivek Sagar Prasad a trio that, when firing in unison, gives India one of the most complete midfield units in world hockey. Supporting them is a group of versatile, competitive players including Nilakanta Sharma, Raj Kumar Pal, Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vishnu Kant Singh and Rosan Kujur. The competition for midfield places promises to be fierce, which is precisely what the coaching staff will want to see.
Up front, India has options aplenty. The forward line features some of the most explosive attacking talent in Asian hockey, led by the experienced and prolific Mandeep Singh and the quick, direct Dilpreet Singh. Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek, and Araijeet Singh Hundal add further firepower, while the presence of Shilanand Lakra, Angad Bir Singh, Uttam Singh, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage and Maninder Singh ensures that depth in the attacking third will not be an issue. The Bengaluru camp will give the coaching staff a valuable opportunity to identify their most dangerous and consistent attacking combinations before the international schedule begins in earnest.
The timing of the camp is significant. The FIH Pro League European leg will test India against the continent's finest sides in their own backyard a challenge that demands tactical adaptability and physical readiness of the highest order. Beyond that, the World Cup and Asian Games loom as the two events by which this Indian generation will ultimately be measured. A World Cup title has eluded India for decades, and the Asian Games gold represents the kind of continental supremacy the team is expected to assert.
Three weeks in Bengaluru will not settle every question. But it will clarify answers, sharpen combinations, and set the tone for a season in which Indian hockey has every reason to dream big. The 36 names in this core group know that. And over the coming weeks at the SAI centre, each of them will be making their case to be part of the team that delivers.
The 36-member core group
Goalkeepers Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Pawan, Suraj Karkera, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar, Princedeep Singh
Defenders Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sumit, Poovanna Chandura Boby, Yashdeep Siwach, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Amandeep Lakra
Midfielders Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Hardik Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Vishnu Kant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Rosan Kujur, Manpreet Singh
Forwards Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh, Uttam Singh, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Maninder Singh, Dilpreet Singh
Comments (0)
to post comments, replies, and votes.
Loading comments…
 df. Mustafo Akhmedov (TJK)3875-X3.jpg)
.JPG.jpeg)