NEW DELHI, Sept 7: For the first time in history of Indian hockey, as many as four players have been picked by top European clubs to play in their professional leagues. According to sources in Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), players making their debut in European leagues are full-back Sandeep Singh, midfielder Nitin Kumar, forward Vir Raja and V S Vinay.

While Sandeep, Nitin and Raja would be featuring for a top Dutch club, Vinay has been roped in by a Spanish outfit.

The players would be leaving later this month for their month-long stints in Europe.

“The players were picked based on their performance in junior World Cup in Rotterdam. The deal was struck after negotiations through correspondence,” sources said.—PPI