Indian midfielder Shamsher Singh and Australia’s Jacob Whetton will co-captain the Delhi SG Pipers for the primary version of the revamped Hockey India League, the franchise introduced on Friday. Navneet Kaur will captain the ladies’s group.
The league returns after a seven-year hiatus, and kicks off in Ranchi on December 28 with the ultimate scheduled for February 1. The league’s first-ever girls’s event will happen from January 13 to January 26.
Delhi coach Graham Reid defined the technique of getting co-captains for the franchise. “Having been concerned with two or three Hockey India Leagues earlier than, I feel it’s actually necessary to get each teams — the worldwide gamers and the Indians — collectively so this is sensible to me,” he stated, including: “I’ve at all times stated, you might want to have a management group, not only one chief, you want a gaggle to assist convey issues collectively. One of many motives is to have interaction the youthful gamers.”
All Hail the Co-Captain! 🙌
The guts of our group, the chief of our journey in #HockeyIndiaLeague – Our co-captain is right here with a message of ardour!🏑#DankaBaja #DelhiSGPipers @shamsher_31 @TheHockeyIndia @HockeyIndiaLeag @16Sreejesh @Maheshbhupathi @reidgj @DiggySinghDeo pic.twitter.com/Y3GLHpTWgQ— Delhi SG Pipers (@DelhiSG_Pipers) November 29, 2024
In a group that features Indian nationwide group members who received the bronze medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics, like Jarmanpreet Singh and Raj Kumar Pal, Shamsher ended up being the costliest purchase and is relishing the chance of main the group.
“I’ll take the duty of captain and specific myself. I’m very excited to play within the Hockey India League. It is going to be a great studying curve for us. I’ve labored with Graham earlier than and know his model of play which is able to assist us within the league,” Shamsher stated.
Drumroll, please! 🥁
The wait is lastly over! Meet our Girls’s Staff Captain as she shares her pleasure for the upcoming #HockeyIndiaLeague. 🏑💪#DankaBaja #DelhiSGPipers #SteelArmy @navneetkaur_25 @TheHockeyIndia @HockeyIndiaLeag @16Sreejesh @Maheshbhupathi @DiggySinghDeo pic.twitter.com/duo14eljYv
— Delhi SG Pipers (@DelhiSG_Pipers) November 29, 2024
After going unsold within the public sale, Delhi swooped up Whetton to interchange the injured Dutchman Jorrit Croon. From having no place within the league to main a franchise, it has been fairly the journey.
Prepared to guide, able to encourage! Introducing our Males’s Staff co-captain as he is able to lead us to glory in #HockeyIndiaLeague!🏑#DankaBaja #DelhiSGPipers #SteelArmy @whetty12 @TheHockeyIndia @HockeyIndiaLeag @16Sreejesh @Maheshbhupathi @reidgj @DiggySinghDeo pic.twitter.com/b2xKNMSJCu
— Delhi SG Pipers (@DelhiSG_Pipers) November 29, 2024
“I’m actually excited to guide this new franchise with Shamsher and put collectively a extremely robust squad to play some implausible hockey for all of our followers. I can’t wait to recover from to India and meet all of my new teammates and look ahead to main this group to some wonderful victories,” Whetton stated.
The Delhi-based franchise was clear in who will lead their girls’s facet for the four-team league competitors. “Navneet is a number one determine of the nationwide group. I’ve already skilled in the previous couple of months that she may be very communicative. She may be very straightforward with the gamers in addition to the employees and he or she is a winner. She by no means permits herself to offer 99 %, it’s at all times 100. Additionally, an necessary level to notice is that for creating Indian hockey you want an Indian captain,” Delhi’s girls’s coach, Dave Smolenaars, stated.
Navneet shared the passion. “I’m really honoured and excited to take this duty. I can’t wait to play alongside such gifted gamers. I’ve good religion in my group,” she stated.
