Vedanta Assembles Formidable Squad for Kalinga Lancers After Dominating HIL Player Auction
15th October 2024
- Secures hockey stars like Aran Zalewski and Alexander Hendrickx
New Delhi, October 15, 2024: Vedanta Limited today unveiled the official lineup for the Kalinga Lancers as the highly anticipated Hockey India League (HIL) 2024 returns after a seven-year hiatus. Following their dominant performance in the player auction, Vedanta has successfully assembled a formidable team, blending emerging talent and seasoned veterans to position the Kalinga Lancers as strong contenders for the upcoming tournament.
The company’s strategic approach during the auction resulted in a well-rounded lineup. This includes key players like Aran Zalewski, Alexander Hendrickx and Thierry Brinkman along with emerging young Indian stars like Rosan Kujur and Mukesh Toppo bolstering the team’s strengths across all positions. The squad’s balance of experience and youthful energy has made the Lancers one of the most competitive teams in this year’s HIL.
Kalinga Lancers Full Squad
Defenders: Sanjay (Rs 38 lakh), Mandeep Mor (Rs 19 lakh), Alexander Hendrickx (Rs 23 lakh), Arthur Van Doren (Rs 32 lakh), Antoine Kina (Rs 16 lakh), Partap Lakra (Rs 2 lakh), Sushil Dhanwar (Rs 2 lakh), Rohit Kullu (Rs 2 lakh)
Midfielders: Aran Zalewski (Rs 27 lakh), Moriangthem Rabichandra (Rs 32 lakh), Enrique Gonzalez (Rs 10 lakh), Mukesh Toppo (Rs 5 lakh), Rosan Kujur (Rs 12.5 lakh), Nicholas Bandurak (Rs 5 lakh)
Forwards: Boby Singh Dhami (Rs 20 lakh), Dilpreet Singh (Rs 34 lakh), Thierry Brinkman (Rs 38 lakh), Angad Bir Singh (Rs 26 lakh), Roshan Minz (Rs 2 lakh), Gursahibjit Singh (Rs 6 lakh), Deepak Pradhan (Rs 2 lakh)
Goalkeepers: Krishan Pathak (Rs 32 lakh), Tobias Reynolds-Cotterill (Rs 2 lakh), Sahil Kumar Nayak (Rs 2 lakh)
The Kalinga Lancers’ squad consists of 24 players, including 8 overseas players, with a remaining purse of Rs 10.5 lakh.
Vedanta will ensure that Kalinga Lancers benefits from top-tier infrastructure, advanced training facilities, and a world-class support staff, all aimed at delivering peak performance throughout the season. The assembled team is fully equipped to compete at the highest level, with the resources and support needed to achieve success in this year’s tournament.
Commenting on the newly formed team, Sunil Gupta, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Vedanta Aluminium, said: “Hockey is deeply rooted in India’s sporting culture, and we are proud to contribute to its growth through the Kalinga Lancers. It is a privilege to own the team and strengthen the sport further by inspiring the next generation. Beyond hockey, Vedanta has been committed to supporting a variety of sports at the grassroots level, including archery, karate, and football, demonstrating our dedication to developing well-rounded talent across the country.”
Strategy Director David John shared his excitement: “We have assembled a squad that is not only talented but also deeply committed to success. Our strategy will emphasize discipline and fast-paced play, maximizing scoring chances. With the exceptional training environment and infrastructure, we have at our disposal, combined with the expertise of our support staff, I am confident that the team will take on the challenges head-on. We aim to showcase the best of hockey and leave a strong mark in the HIL this year.”
Vedanta’s acquisition of Kalinga Lancers is not just about sporting excellence but also part of the company’s larger socio-economic development efforts in Odisha. By investing in the Kalinga Lancers, Vedanta aims to strengthen this hockey culture, fostering local talent and engaging with communities to promote the sport.
Vedanta’s presence in Odisha is significant, with the company operating India’s largest aluminium plant (1.8 MTPA) in Jharsuguda, and a state-of-the-art alumina refinery (3.5 MTPA) in Kalahandi. Vedanta Aluminium has created more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state, further solidifying Odisha’s position as a leader in India’s industrial landscape. Additionally, through investments in coal, bauxite, ferrochrome, and iron ore, Vedanta plays a critical role in advancing the “Make in India” initiative, contributing nearly 50% of India’s aluminium production and reducing the nation’s dependency on imports.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
Follow us on LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Disclaimer:
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “should” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
