Need to phase out underperforming seniors, junior WC selection trials on Sep 13: HI chief selector

Rajgir (Bihar), Sep 7 (PTI) The selection trials for the upcoming FIH Junior World Cup will be held in Bengaluru on September 13, said Hockey India selection committee chairman RP Singh, while hinting that they are in the process of phasing out underperforming senior players from the core group.

Singh said the junior team for the World Cup will be selected based on the players' performances in the recent European tour and the ongoing national camp.

"The selection trials for the Junior World Cup will be held in Bengaluru on September 13. There is plenty of talent in the junior ranks and we are confident they can win us a medal in the World Cup," Singh told PTI on the sidelines of the men's Asia Cup here on Sunday.

The chairman of selectors said that the senior team might see some changes after the Asia Cup and young performers could be called up after the Junior World Cup.

He said no player can take their place for granted in the side and some tough decisions will be made to end India's World Cup medal drought.

India's last World Cup medal -- their lone gold in the tournament -- came way back in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur under Ajitpal Singh's captaincy.

"It's been five decades we have not won a World Cup medal so we will have to take some tough decisions. There are a few players who are under the scanner and we will assess their performances after the Asia Cup," Singh said.

"We need to see upcoming players while making our team now. At one go, if we sent 6-7 senior players out of the team, it won't work. It is the responsibility of the selection committee to ensure the senior players, who are not performing, are phased out.

"After Paris Olympics a lot of time has gone. We have made this plan long before. If we don't give youngsters chance in small tournaments or Test series, we can't make them play in World Cup straightaway." Singh also said that there are no places for unfit players in the national team.

"Our plan is to phase out senior players who are not performing and who are not fit.

"Whoever performs, whoever is fit, will be selected. That's our policy. There is nothing called big names in modern hockey. Every selection should be in the team's interest," he said.

He said there a few talented players in the junior ranks who can make the senior side after the Junior World Cup.

"5-6 players are very good in juniors, we will put them in senior core group and send them for tours and judge. We will select the best team for the World Cup and the Asian Games," the chief selector said.

India had left out three members of the Paris Olympics squad -- Shamsher Singh, Gurjant Singh and Nilakanta Sharma -- for the Asia Cup and drafted in young players like Rajinder Singh and Shilanand Lakra, a decision which is giving results.

"We have dropped a few seniors for the Asia Cup and given chance to some youngsters who have not disappointed us. But we will take suggestions from the coaching staff, including chief coach, before selecting the next core probable group," Singh said.

The 2026 senior men's FIH World Cup will be played in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30 next year and it will followed by the Asian Games within three weeks.

With very little time gap between the two mega-events, there are speculations that India might field different teams for these tournaments.

But Singh rejected the speculations and said India will field their best teams for the two events.

"There is nothing like that. Three weeks is a lot of time. We don't want to make any excuses. We will send the best team and look for best performances," he concluded. PTI SSC SSC AH AH