Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 8 (ANI): The Senior Indian Men and Women Hockey teams on Wednesday morning left for Brussels, Belgium for the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22.
The Indian Women’s Hockey team, led by Savita, will play a double-header against the hosts Belgium starting on June 11.
“Obviously, we are excited for this trip as we have been given a great opportunity in the form of FIH Hockey Pro League games to play against some of the top teams in Europe,” Captain Savita Punia, said prior to the team’s departure.
“Playing against these top-ranked teams will also help us prepare for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in July this year. It’s a fantastic platform for us to assess our performances and work on our weaknesses,” Savita added.
Indian Women’s Hockey Team are currently occupying the third spot in the FIH Women’s Hockey Pro League 2021/22 table with 22 points in eight games. They are only behind table leaders Argentina (38 points) and the Netherlands (second position- 26 points). However, the Indian Team played fewer games than Argentina and the Netherlands and have an opportunity to move up the ranks if they win all their remaining fixtures.
The Indian Men’s Hockey squad, led by Amit Rohidas, will also play a double-header against Belgium on June 11 and June 12. India are currently occupying the second spot in the FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League table. They are just three points behind the top-placed Netherlands.
“We are delighted to play against some of the top teams in the world on their home soil,” Rohidas said, expressing the team’s excitement ahead of their trip.
“We are very excited to put up a good show against Belgium and the Netherlands. We’re not looking too far ahead at the moment; we just want to focus on one game at a time, and showcase our best performance to retake the top spot in the FIH Hockey Pro League table,” he added. (ANI)