Date:18/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/18/stories/2007121856721800.htm

Sport - Hockey

PHL side has a practice session

BANGALORE: Bangalore’s squad for the Premier Hockey League was put through its paces by Chief Coach Ashish Ballal at the hockey stadium here on Monday.

Rechristened Bangalore High Fliers (from Bangalore Lions which won the tournament in the second edition of the PHL in 2006), the team is essentially composed of Bangalore-based players with a few imports.

The core group of the players is the same; however some new foreign players and players from other states have been added.

No problem

Ballal said that though the team has had only little practice session together there should be no problem of coordination and harmony.

“They are all senior players and have been to many camps together. They have also played as a team earlier,” Ballal said.

“The players are extremely talented and are keyed up to play to their potential,” he added. The Bangalore High Fliers had specifically asked for three foreign players — not by names but by field position.

The request to the IHF was for a defender, a mid-fielder and a forward.

The foreign players will be allotted to the various teams by draw of lots some time on Tuesday.

The Premier Hockey League schedule has been shortened (this time it is being played only at one centre and on a league-cum-knockout format) and the dates advanced from its usual slot in the calendar year.

This has been necessitated for a number of reasons like the forthcoming Olympic qualifiers and a Test series with Belgium which is being finalised.

The squad (without the foreign players):

Tushar Khandekar, Bharath Kumar Chettri, Len Aiyappa, P.T Rao, Ajay Kumar Saroha, V.S Vinaya, Bimal Lakra, Arjun Halappa, Vikram Kanth, Cheeyanna, Hari Prasad, Sandeep Michael, S.V Sunil, K.A Nilesh amd Kamarjit Singh.