HIL side Kalinga Lancers retains five players

HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE (HIL) franchise Kalinga Lancers on Sunday retained young Indian players -- Lalit Upadhyay ($30,000), Devindar Sunil Walimiki ($35,000) and Gurjinder Singh ($50,000) -- for the next two editions.

Along with them, the franchise has also retained young Australian talents -- striker Aran Zalewski ($50,000) and goalkeeper Andrew Charter ($40,000).

For Lancers, penalty corner specialist Gurjinder was successful in the 2014 and 2015 editions. In the 2015 HIL, he was the fourth highest goal-scorer in the league with five goals.

Forwards Lalit and Devindar also played key roles in mobilising the attacking line and are now playing for the national side.

World champions Australia's custodian Charter and spirited striker Zalewski have also been retained.

"It's a great feeling that the team management has trust in my abilities and has retained me for the upcoming seasons. Their decision has boosted my morale and given me confidence to play better,"

Lalit, who hails from Varanasi, said in a release.

"Having Devindar, Gurjinder, Zalewski and Charter in the team is also a good feeling as I enjoy playing with them. Their experience will surely help the team,"

the 21-year-old added.

"We are also thankful to the Odisha crowd who always stood by our side and supported us wholeheartedly. We look forward to showcasing better performance and giving the fans plenty of winning moments in the 2016 HIL."