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Regular-article-logo Monday, 08 June 2026

DHILLON TO LEAD 

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FROM A CORRESPONDENT Published 01.02.02, 12:00 AM
New Delhi, Feb. 1 :    New Delhi, Feb. 1:  Punjab Police's 27-year-old deputy superintendent Baljit Singh Dhillon was today chosen captain of the 22-member Indian hockey squad for the forthcoming tenth World Cup in Kuala Lumpur from February 24 to March 9. This will be Dhillon's first World Cup, having missed the Utrecht tournament four years ago because of an injury. Seven members from the squad which finished ninth in Utrecht remain, said IHF president K. P. S. Gill. They include Dhanraj Pillay who is playing his fourth successive World Cup, a feat achieved only by the great Ashok Kumar (1971, 1973, 1975 and 1978). The other six who did duty in Utrecht are goalkeeper Jude Menezes, defenders Dilip Tirkey and Lazarus Barla, Calcutta-born midfielder Baljit Singh Saini and Thirumalvalavan and crafty playmaker Sabu Varkey. The squad also contains 11 players who won the Junior World Cup in Perth last year. Coach Cedric D'Souza said that the team will have a ten day camp in Ipoh as the System 5 turf there is the same as in Kuala Lumpur. THE INDIAN POOL: India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, England, Cuba, Poland and Australia. THE SQUAD: Goalkeepers: Jude Menezes and Devesh Chauhan. Defenders: Dilip Tirkey, Lazarus Barla, Kanwalpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh and Len Ayyapa. Midfielders: S. S. Gill, Ignace Tirkey, S. Thirumalvalavan, Vikram Pillay, Arjun Halappa, Baljit Saini and Bimal Lakra. Forwards: Dhanraj Pillay, Daljit Singh Dhillon, Gagan Ajit Singh, Deepak Thakur, Prabhjot Singh, Baljit Singh Dhillon, Sabu Varkey and Bipin Fernandez.Standbyes: Kamaldeep Singh (goalkeeper), Dinesh Nayak (defender) and Viren Rasquina (midfielder).Coach: Cedric D'Souza. Assistant coach: C. R. Kumar. Manager: N. K. Batra. India's matches: Vs Japan (Feb. 24), vs Korea (Feb. 26), vs Malaysia (Feb. 27), vs England (March 1), vs Cuba (March 2) vs Poland (March 4) and vs Australia (March 5).    
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