Suraj Lata Devi has been retained�captain of the Indian women hockey team for the upcoming Afro-Asian Games and Asia Cup.

The Manipur girl had led India to the gold medal at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002. India beat England 3-2 in the final.

Announcing a 22-member squad for the two international events, in Bangalore on Monday, Indian Women's Hockey Federation president Vidya Stokes said�former India Olympian and men's team coach M K Kaushik will�be the chief coach�of the team�while Manjit Kaur will be�coach-cum-manager.

A three-member selection committee, headed by Stokes and comprising Olympian Jalaluddin Rizwan and treasurer of IWHF D D Singh, selected the team after assessing the performance of 36 probables undergoing training at the Sports Authority of India South Centre on the city's outskirts.

The probables have�been�at the coaching camp since September 8 and will�train in Bangalore�till October 8, Stokes said.

Stokes said efforts of the Federation to appoint a foreign coach for the team could not fructify as top coaches from Australia and the Netherlands did not show any interest in taking up the assignment.

The team:

Helen Mary, Deepika Murthy, Marite Tirkey (goalkeepers), Suman Bala, Kanti Baa, Pushpa Pradhan, Neelima Kujur (full-backs), Suraj Lata Devi, Subhadra Pradhan, Masira Sarin, Gurpreet Kaur, Sumari Tete, Fulmani Soy, Manju (half backs), Shanggai I Chanu, Adline Kerketta, Jasjeet Kaur, Annarita Kerketta, Surinder Kaur, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Deepika Thakur and Meenakshi (forwards).

Stokes said the team will�move to Hyderabad on October 9 to prepare for the Afro- Asian Games, beginning�October 22.