The Indian senior hockey men’s and women’s teams have left for Brussels, the capital city of Belgium on Wednesday as they will be in action for the FIH Hockey Pro League. The women’s team captained by custodian Savita Punia will be immediately in action against Belgium in a double header schedule for 11th June and 12th June, 2022.
Indian women’s team captain Savita Punia who has done a great job with the leadership in rani Rampal’s absence feels that this is a greta opportunity for the Indian team to do well as they travel to a foreign nation and play against top teams. She feels that it will give them an assessment of where they stand right now.
“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, said prior to the team’s departure.”
She also feels that these matches will be a great preparation for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup which is scheduled to be held in July this year. “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.
The Indian eves are currently in the third spot in the FIH Hockey Pro League standings with 22 points from eight games. The Savita Punia led side is only behind Argentina who are at the summit with 36 points and the Netherlands who are second in the table with 26 points. However the Indian eves have played less matches than their counterparts and if they manage to win the remaining fixtures they will surely move up the rankings.
Just like the women’s team, the Indian Men’s team will also play a double header against Belgium on similar dates on 11th and 12th June, 2022. The Indian Men’s hockey are second in the FIH Hockey Pro League standings. The Amit Rohidas captained team are three points behind the table toppers Netherlands.
Rohidas shared how these matches against Belgium and the Netherlands will keep them in great stead. The Men’s hockey team will be aiming to keep up their home form even in foreign soil against top nations. “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,” Rohidas highlighted.
