Paris Olympics 2024 is just a few days away and the Indian team is not leaving any opportunity to prepare themselves for the biggest multi-sporting event in the world across various sports that will feature in the Paris Olympics 2024. Following this Hockey India had also announced India’s squad for the Olympics a couple of days back. In this article, we will look at the five players who will be making their Olympic debut in the Paris Olympics 2024.

Five Players Who Will Make Their Debut In Paris Olympics

Jarmanpreet Singh

Jarmanpreet Singh who made his international,l debut in the year 2018 is all set to make his Olympic debut in the upcoming Olympic Games scheduled to start from July 26 in Paris. When asked about the readiness of the team for the Olympic Games Jarman said that the team is committed to one goal and will give their best to achieve it. 

In the words of Jarman “The whole team is pulling in the same direction, and I feel we are in good rhythm. It would be a matter of great pride for me and my family if I play in my first Olympic Games at the Paris 2024 Olympics—a dream come true. If I do get selected, my aim would still be to give my hundred percent for the team, as the team always comes first.”

Sanjay

After an impressive show in the Junior Hockey World Cup, the path for Sanjay to make his senior team debut seemed to have cleared which coincided with the retirement of corner specialist Rupindar Pal. But as they say, good things take time so has to Sanjay for his opportunity due to the amount of fierce that was on show for a place in the Indian team. 

It was not until the change in India’s head coach after the 2023 Hockey World Cup debacle which saw the arrival of Creg Fulton that Sanjay was selected in the main team for the Europe leg of the FIH Pro League and he hasn’t looked back since then.

Also Read: India Announces Hockey Squad For Olympic Games 2024

Sukhjeet Singh

Sukhjeet Singh who has made a name for himself as one of India’s reliable forwards since making his debut for the country in the 2021-22 season of the FIH Pro League has been a vital part of the team in many major tournaments like the Asian Games, Hockey World Cup 2023 and Asian Champions Trophy 2023 held in Chemmai.

Sukhjeet emphasizes the role of his father in shaping him as a player and supporting him during his low phase. Sukhijeet was introduced to the game of Hockey when he was four years old by his father who gave him a hockey stick.

Sukhjeet will represent India in his first Olympic games in Paris.

Raj Kumar Pal

Raj Kumar Pal who patrols the minefield for India on the turf is all set to make his Olympic Debut For India in Paris this year. Raj Kumar has delivered some solid performances for India since making his senior team debut in the year 2020. Talking after making his debut against Belgium Raj Kumar said “The way you start anything is very crucial and therefore I really wanted to get off to a good start in my international career. It was a dream come true for me when I got the chance to walk on the field with the Indian team for the match against Belgium in the FIH Hockey Pro League last year and I am really happy with the way things have panned out for me so far.”

Also Read: 3 Best Performances Of Lakshya Sen Ahead Of Paris Olympics 2024

Abhishek

Know for his indiscipline as a child Abhishek has become a crucial part of the team since making his international debut for India in the FIH Pro League last season. Since then he has been a regular feature of the Indian team. Abhishek has also got ascar on his left hand which extends to his forearm which is a sign of how undisciplined he was as a child.

Talking about the incident which led to the scar Abhishek said before CWG 2022. “Once during practice, our coach hadn’t arrived yet. Next to our ground, there was a jamun tree and we were plucking fruits. The wall next to it had glasses and barbed wire on the top and I fell and cut my hand on a piece of glass. I was scared my family wouldn’t even let me play hockey after that.” during an interaction before CWG 2022.

Hockey India has announced India’s squad for the Olympic Games 2024 scheduled to be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11. The Indian team led by Hamanpreet Singh gets a chance to go a step ahead and win the ultimate prize i.e. the gold medal in the upcoming Olympic Games scheduled to be held in Paris next month. India won the bronze medal in the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo which was the team’s first Olympic medal since the Moscow Olympic Games held in 1980.

The Team

If we talk about the Indian team that has been selected for the Olympics it comprises a good blend of youth and experience with players like captain Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh who will be keen to make his debut in the upcoming multination tournament, Amit Rohitdas, and Hardik Singh making the core of the team.

The Pool

India is placed in pool B which also includes the likes of defending champions Belgium, Australia, Argentina, Australia, and Ireland.

Also Read: 3 Best Performances Of Lakshya Sen Ahead Of Paris Olympics 2024

Coach’s Corner

Talking about the team selected for the Olympic Games, Chief Coach Craig Fulton said, “The selection process for the Paris Olympics’ squad was incredibly competitive due to the depth of talent within our ranks, however, I am confident that every player chosen will bring their best to Paris. Each player selected has demonstrated exceptional skill, dedication, and resilience throughout our rigorous preparation phase. Our journey has been marked by unwavering commitment to excellence and a collective drive to elevate Indian hockey on the world stage.”

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Maintaining The Balance

He further said, “This squad embodies a perfect blend of experienced players and promising young talents, giving us the versatility and energy required to tackle the challenges ahead. Our focus has been on building a cohesive team that can adapt to different playing styles and situations, and I believe we have achieved that.”

The squad

Goalkeepers

Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran

Defenders

Jarmanpreet Singh

Amit Rohidas

Harmanpreet Singh

Sumit

Sanjay

Midfielders

Rajkumar Pal

Shamsher Singh

Manpreet Singh

Hardik Singh

Vivek Sagar Prasad

Forwards

Abhishek

Sukhjeet Singh

Lalit Kumar Upadhyay

Mandeep Singh

Gurjant Singh

Alternate Athletes

Nilakanta Sharma

Jugraj Singh

Krishan Bahadur Pathak