Default

New Delhi, 10 August 2015: With the fourth edition of the Hockey India League all set to witness a high intensity battle for the League Title, each franchisee has been given an option to retain up to 3 Indian and 3 International players, the highly successful Delhi Waveriders franchisee has retained its six players while releasing the rest of the squad who will go under the hammer in the 2015 auction.

The franchisee has retained its star forward Simon Child along with defender Steven Edwards and Tristan White for the 2016 and 2017 Hockey India Leagues. Apart from the foreign players, Delhi Waveriders retained young talents including Talwinder Singh, Surender Kumar and Yuvraj Walmiki for the upcoming season.

Dehli Waveriders has shown its faith in the young Indians while retaining the experience of foreign players. Last year Talwinder Singh and Surender Kumar captured limelight through their brilliant play. While Surender was a huge support to the defence line, Talwinder and Yuvraj were commended for their attack and the way they complemented Simon Child in his efforts to create opportunities.

Simon Child has been a key member of the Delhi team since their first season and leads the attack from the front. In the 2015 HIL, he scored the maximum goals for his team and was at the sixth position in the goal-scoring list with four goals. In the previous season also, Child had scored the same number of goals and had helped his team to win the title. His fellow countryman Steven Edwards also with the team since the first edition, added huge value to the team.

In the last three seasons, Delhi Waveriders played with star-studded players, including Sardar Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Australia’s Jason Wilson and Matt Ghodes, New Zealand’s Andrew Hayward and South Africa’s Lloyd Norris Jones. With the best players of the world, Delhi Waveriders won the second season of the Hockey India League by beating league favourites Jaypee Punjab Warriors. However, they performed below their fans’ expectations in the 2015 Hockey India League and managed to finish 4th in the points-table to qualify for the semi-finals, where they lost to Jaypee Punjab Warriors.

Speaking on their retained players, Wave Group’s Executive Director Mr. Amar Sinha stated, “We have retained six players from our existing squad after much deliberation. We will build our team afresh and the players we have retained will lead the team towards new goals in the upcoming HIL 2016. Simon Child, Tristan White and Steven Edwards are very experienced players and having them in the team will help young players to shape-up according to the team’s strategy. The young & super talented Indian players Yuvraj, Surender and Talwinder are sure to look forward to for their upbeat game on the Astroturf.”

Speaking on Delhi Waveriders’ decision, Australia’s Tristan White said, “I am happy that I will be playing with the same team and the best players. The atmosphere of Delhi Waveriders and the city is amazing. It motivates me to perform better. I am also glad to see Simon Child and Steven Edwards in the team as they inspire other players and lead the team from the front. Yuvraj Walmiki, Surender Kumar and Talwinder are marvellous talents and it’s enjoyable to play alongside them. I am expecting a great result this time and looking forward to another competitive season.”