Bhubaneswar: Drag-flicker Varun Kumar was Wednesday ruled out of India’s FIH Olympic Qualifiers against Russia owing to a shoulder injury and replaced by defender Birender Lakra.
The Indian men’s team will play Russia November 1 and 2 at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium here. Hockey India (HI) announced the replacement for Varun Kumar who sustained an injury on his shoulder and right bicep during a training session, Monday.
“Varun Kumar got injured Monday while training. He has been receiving treatment since then, but unfortunately, it has not shown enough signs of improvement,” said chief coach Graham Reid.
“We have decided to replace him with Birendra Lakra, a class defender with over 170 International caps. He is very experienced and knows well the conditions in Bhubaneswar,” added Reid.
PNN