CFA's Gurpreet vice captain of India team for AFC U-22 Championship

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh Football Academy product Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been named his vice captain of AFC Under-22 Championship (qualifiers), to be played in Muscat from Saturday. As many as four players in the 23-member squad are from Chandigarh and Punjab region.
Gurpreet, a goalkeeper, belongs to Chamkaur Sahib in Punjab and has been a force to reckon with on the national stage for quite sometime.
He has been representing East Bengal in the I-League for past sometime. The Indian squad has been training at Wasl Training Ground in Dubai and will be leaving for Muscat for the meet on Thursday.
The Indian squad led by Jeje Lalpekhlua has been training under head coach Arthur Papas since June. India is clubbed with hosts Oman, Lebanon, Iraq, UAE and Turkmenistan. They will play against Lebanon in the first match of the championship.
Another player Deepak Devrani, a defender, is also from Chandigarh Football Academy. He is currently representing Pailan Arrows in I-League. Striker Manandeep Singh also hails from Punjab.
"It is matter of great pride for the region to have produced four footballers from the region. Even after the disbandment of JCT FC, many players are coming out of this region and shining on national stage," said Gagandeep Singh, a budding footballer from the city.