Jeje to lead India in AFC U-22 Championship

New Delhi: Jeje Lalpekhlua will lead India in the AFC Under-22 Championship (Qualifiers), to be played in Muscat from Saturday.

Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been named his deputy. The Indian squad, which has been preparing at the Al Wasl Training Ground in Dubai, leaves for Muscat tomorrow morning for the championship. "It is a huge honour for me to lead my country," Jeje said. "We have been training under Head Coach Arthur Papas since the first week of June and he has been a pillar of support to all of us," he added. India, who have been clubbed with hosts Oman, Lebanon, Iraq, UAE and Turkmenistan, play Lebanon in their first match on the first day of the championship. Meanwhile, the Indian squad defeated DNATA Club 4-1 in their second friendly match yesterday. After a barren first half, Lalrindika Ralte scored twice for India while Shaiju Mon and striker Manandeep Singh scored one apiece. The 23-member squad: Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Vice-captain -- Kingfisher East Bengal), Ravi Kumar (Pailan Arrows), Soram Poirei Angamba (Shillong Lajong FC). Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Vishal Kumar, Souvik Ghosh, Prathamesh Maulinkar, Deepak Devrani (all from Pailan Arrows), Narayan Das, (Tata Football Academy), Abhishek Das (Kingfisher East Bengal). Midfielders: Pronoy Halder, Ognam Milan Singh, Thirthankar Sarkar, Alwyn George, (all from Pailan Arrows), Simranjit Singh (Tata Football Academy), Ganeshan (Pune FC), Deepak Prakash (HAL), Lalrindika Ralte (Churchill Brothers), Shaiju Mon (Chirag Kerala), Romeo Fernandes (Dempo FC). Forwards: Holicharan Narzary, (Pailan Arrows), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Captain -- Pune FC), Manandeep Singh (Air India). PTI