Krishan Bahadur Pathak Named Main Goalkeeper for Asian Champions Trophy

Krishan Bahadur Pathak has been named the main goalkeeper for the Indian team led by Harmanpreet Singh for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy. The tournament, featuring top Asian teams, will be held in China from September 8-17. The team includes several key players from the recent Olympics and introduces new talents.

In a significant announcement on Wednesday, Krishan Bahadur Pathak was named the main goalkeeper for the Indian team, succeeding the retired PR Sreejesh, for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy. The tournament, scheduled from September 8-17 in Hulunbuir, China, will see India compete for top honors against Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, and hosts China.

Following India's recent success at the Paris Olympics, where they won a second successive bronze medal, Pathak, who was the standby goalkeeper, will now be the primary custodian. Suraj Karkera will serve as the reserve. Experienced midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad has been appointed vice-captain, with several key players including Hardik Singh being rested.

Chief coach Craig Fulton emphasized the importance of this tournament in building on ranking points and welcomed the inclusion of promising youngsters like Gurjot Singh, who will be making his international debut. India's campaign kicks off on September 8 against China, followed by matches against Japan, Malaysia, Korea, and arch-rivals Pakistan, with semi-finals and finals set for September 16 and 17.

(With inputs from agencies.)