Premier Handball League: Rajasthan Patriots announce squad for inaugural edition

India's captain Atul Kumar will spearhead the squad.

Rajasthan Patriots, a franchise of Krida Pvt Ltd, today announced their squad for the inaugural season of the Premier Handball League, which will begin from June 8, 2023, in the Rajasthan capital. Having six players in the squad who have previously participated in either the Asian Championships or the Asian Games will definitely add balance and strength to the squad.

Indian Handball team captain Atul Kumar along with Ramesh Godara, Hardev Singh, Arjun Lakra, Sahil Malik and Sumit are some of the Patriots key players to watch out for in the upcoming Premier Handball League.

A total of eight teams are participating in this league, seven players from each team will compete on the mat during the match, out of which two players will be foreigners.

Rajasthan Patriots will open their campaign against Maharashtra Ironmen at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on the opening day of the Premier Handball League. All matches will be telecast live on A Sports 18 and Jio Cinema from 7 PM onwards.

The Rajasthan Patriots' squad includes a mix of players from across India, some of whom are part of the Indian national handball team, including national team captain Atul Kumar. He also represents the Indian Air Force, while his teammates Robin Singh and Thowfiq VM represent the Indian Navy, while Sahil Malik, who represents the Indian Army, has also been selected by the franchise.

The team's goalkeeper, Ramesh Godara who represented the Indian Air Force from 2014–17 and later the Indian Services from the 2017–20 time period, now represents his home state, Rajasthan, at the national level. Hardev Singh and Bhupendra Jangra, selected in the team, are representing Punjab Police and Indian Railways respectively.

The team also includes 3 international players who are from Russia, Jordan and Thailand, namely Kireev Dmitri, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan Al-Otaibi and Thanawat Sanyamaud.

Rajasthan Patriots spokesperson Parina Suresh Parekh said , “We are delighted to have such a talented squad for the inaugural season of the Premier Handball League. Our team includes senior players including Atul Kumar, the captain of the national handball team. I am sure he along with our senior players who have a lot of experience will help mentor the young talents in the team and this unity will lead our team to victory as we look to fight #ForTheGlory.

On the occasion of the team announcement, Rajasthan Patriots team member and Indian Handball team captain Atul Kumar said, “Our experience with Rajasthan Patriots in the PHL so far has been amazing as we are emerging as a strong unit.

I have played with some of the team members in the past as well and we all share a good rapport. Each member of the team brings a unique experience and all of our talents will surely help us deliver the results we are aiming for.

Rajasthan Patriots Team for Premier Handball League

Goalkeeper: Atul Kumar, Ramesh Godara, Thanawat Sanyamud (Thailand)

Right Back: Sahil Malik, Bhupendra Jangra, Kireev Dmitriy (Russia)

Centre back: Khush, Arjun Lakra

Left Back: Robin Singh, Mohit Ghanghas, Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Al-Otaibi (Jordan)

Right Wing: Hardev Singh, Siddharth Singh

Left Wing: Rohit Kumar, Sumit

Pivot: Taufiq VM, Manish Malik

Coach : Naya Chandra Singh

Assistant coach: Inderjit Singh