PREVIEW
Soorma Hockey Club will face Tamil Nadu Dragons in the third match of the Hockey India League 2024-25 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Sunday.
Soorma, based in Punjab, went big on defenders, spending Rs 1.6 crore — the most by any team at the auction. Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh fetched top money and will lead the side. He is expected to bring plenty of goals to the team with his ace drag flicking skills.
Soorma has experience throughout its core, with Vincent Vanasch, Harmanpreet, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Victor Wegnez, Jonas de Geus and Gurjant Singh. Belgian Jeroen Baart, who previously coached his country’s Under-21 boys and in the top division of the Dutch league, has been tasked with coaching duties.
The Dragons have assembled a star-studded team, with Jip Janssen, Amit Rohidas, Thomas Sorsby, Tom Craig and Blake Govers being the standout players. India forward Selvam Karthi adds local flair to the team, with Australia’s Nathan Ephraums complementing him in attack. The Dragons have three world-class drag flick options in Janssen, Rohidas and Govers, acquired for a combined Rs 1.29 crore.
Rohidas, regarded as one of the world’s finest first-rushers in penalty corner defence, will lead the Dragons.
Head coach Rein van Eijk believes the HIL be a valuable stepping stone for Karthi in his career. Van Eijk has also earmarked defender Anand Y and midfielder Chandan Yadav from the Indian junior team to make an impact.
FULL SQUADS
Soorma Hockey Club:
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh (c), Jeremy Hayward (Australia), Gurinder Singh, Nicolas Della Torre (Argentina), Sukhvinder, Ashu Maurya, Pradip Mandal
Midfielders: Vivek Sagar Prasad, Victor Wegnez (Belgium), Harjeet Singh, Nicolas Poncelet (Belgium), Prabhjot Singh, Ankush, Sunit Lakra
Forwards: Gurjant Singh, Boris Burkhardt (Netherlands), Maninder Singh, Pawan Rajbhar, Harish Somappa Mutagar, Nicolas Keenan (Argentina), Phil Roper (Great Britain)
Goalkeepers: Vincent Vanasch (Belgium), Mohith H S, Jashandeep Singh
Tamil Nadu Dragons:
Defenders: Amit Rohidas (c), Jip Janssen (Netherlands), Kothajit Singh, Moritz Ludwig (Germany), Anand Y, Anand Lakra, Pruthvi GM
Midfielders: Tom Craig (Australia), Mohd. Raheel Mouseen, Blake Govers (Australia), Chandan Yadav, Shesha Gowda, M. Dhilipan, Arun J, Thomas Sorsby (Great Britain)
Forwards: Selvam Karthi, Nathan Ephraums (Australia), Majji Ganesh, Uttam Singh, Abharan Sudev, Martin Zwicker (Germany)
Goalkeepers: David Harte (Ireland), Prince Deep Singh, S. Senthamizh Arasu
When is the men’s Hockey India League match between Soorma Hockey Club and Tamil Nadu Dragons?
The men’s Hockey India League 2024-25 match between Soorma Hockey Club and Tamil Nadu Dragons will begin at 8:15PM IST on Sunday at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.
Where to watch Soorma Hockey Club and Tamil Nadu Dragons HIL match LIVE?
The men’s Hockey India League 2024-25 match between Soorma Hockey Club and Tamil Nadu Dragons will be LIVE telecast on the Sony Sports Network (Sony Sports 1, Sony Sports 3, Sony Sports 4). It will also be telecast by Doordarshan.
SonyLIV and WAVES platforms will LIVE stream the match. Moreover, you can stay tuned to Sportstar’s website and app for the latest updates from the fixture.