Hockey Pro League: Indian Men’s and Women’s Teams Shine in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Feb 26 (NationPress) The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams launched their respective journeys in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 on home turf, competing in a total of eight matches each from February 15 to 25 at the Kalinga Stadium.

The men’s squad exhibited an impressive performance, securing victories in five of the eight matches and currently holding the third spot in the standings with 15 points, just a point shy of the joint leaders, England and Spain. They commenced their campaign with a 1-3 defeat against Spain but quickly rebounded with a 2-0 win over the same team. The men’s team then faced off against World No.4 Germany, experiencing a loss in their first match but demonstrating remarkable defensive strength the following day to clinch a 1-0 victory. They further capitalized on this momentum with successive dominant wins over Ireland.

India faced a heartbreaking 2-3 defeat against long-standing rivals England; however, a brace from Captain Harmanpreet Singh in the subsequent match led to a hard-fought 2-1 victory, allowing the home side to conclude their Bhubaneswar leg on a high note. Key players Mandeep Singh and Sukhjeet Singh stood out, each netting three crucial goals, while the promising 21-year-old Rajinder Singh also made his mark.

Conversely, the women’s team experienced fluctuations in their early tournament matches. With two wins and two draws, they currently sit sixth on the leaderboard with nine points. The women started strong, achieving a 3-2 victory and a draw against England.

However, they faced three consecutive losses—two against Spain and one against Germany—before bouncing back with a 1-0 win against the Germans in their next encounter. In their final two games, India displayed commendable courage and resilience against the World No.1 side, the Netherlands.

Despite a 2-4 loss in the first fixture, India excelled by winning 13 penalty corners and pushing the Dutch to their limits. On the concluding day, India made a stunning comeback to draw the match 2-2, securing a bonus point in the shootout to end their home leg positively.

Reflecting on his team's performances, captain Harmanpreet Singh remarked, “I am extremely proud of the way the boys have performed. Winning five matches out of eight has given us a solid start to the tournament, and we will build on this in the upcoming games. I am particularly impressed with the young players who stepped up when needed and helped us secure crucial points.”

“A special thank you to all the fans who came to support us in the stadium. Your unwavering support means everything to the team, and we promise to give our best on the field moving forward,” he added.

Women’s team captain Salima Tete shared similar sentiments, stating, “The result against the Netherlands has instilled a great deal of confidence in us, as we now believe we can compete against any team globally. All players have made significant sacrifices in recent months, which is why we are seeing such positive outcomes.

“Competing against world-class opponents has also benefited the younger players, making them more prepared for future challenges. In our next camp, we will focus on improving our penalty corner execution and perform better in shootouts, as these are areas where we must excel,” she added.