The Indian Men’s Hockey Team departed for Antwerp, Belgium, early Tuesday morning to compete in the Europe leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League, where this season’s winner will be determined. Currently ranked third in the points table behind the Netherlands and Australia, India will face hosts Belgium and Argentina in Antwerp from May 22 to 26, followed by matches against Germany and Great Britain in London from June 1 to 9.
India aims not only to finish the prestigious league with top honours but also to address any weaknesses before the Olympic Games in Paris, starting this July. “The team is quite excited to get back on the road for another challenging outing against the world’s best teams in the FIH Hockey Pro League,” said Captain Harmanpreet Singh before the team’s departure.
“We are coming off an intense training camp at SAI, Bengaluru, where we focused on conditioning and played regular intra-squad matches. The team is shaping up well, and the Pro League is crucial for us to iron out flaws in our execution ahead of the Olympics,” emphasized the ace drag flicker.
Harmanpreet also highlighted that the matches in Antwerp and London will provide valuable insights into their performance as a unit and into their opponents’ strategies, who they will face in the Olympic Semi-Finals at Paris 2024. “Belgium and Argentina are in our Olympic pool, along with Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Playing Belgium and Argentina in Antwerp will help us test our best combinations before finalizing the squad for the Olympics. This Pro League outing is critical for our preparations for Paris and for players aiming to secure a spot in the 16-member Olympic squad,” added Harmanpreet, currently among the top three highest goal scorers this season with six goals.
India will kick off their European leg on May 22 with an opening match against Argentina, followed by matches against Belgium on May 23 and 25. They will face Argentina again on May 26 before heading to London for the final leg, where they will play Germany on June 1 and 8 and take on hosts Great Britain on June 2 and 9. “In the past few seasons of the Pro League, we have finished in third place. It would be great to finish on top this time, and we are optimistic about our chances,” concluded the Captain.
