India recall veterans

Veteran midfielder Sardar Singh returned to the national team as India yesterday named an 18-member squad, led by Manpreet Singh, for the Asia Cup Hockey tournament to be held in Dhaka from October 11 to 22.

Sardar, recently awarded India's highest sports honour Khel Ratna Award, was dropped from the Indian team which toured Europe last month, but he got a recall for next month's event.

Two other key players who were dropped for the Europe tour -- forwards SV Sunil and Akashdeep Singh -- also made comebacks as did defenders Harmanpreet Singh and Surender Kumar who were rested for the Europe tour.

Sunil has been named deputy to Manpreet who has been retained as the captain despite a poor show by the team in the hockey World League semifinal in London in June and a mixed result in last month's European tour.

India feature in Pool A alongside hosts Bangladesh, Pakistan and Japan. They will start their campaign against Japan on October 11 before facing Bangladesh on October 13.

The Indian team will play their third and final league match against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 15.

India had finished runners-up to South Korea in the previous edition of Asia Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, in 2013.