May 14th 2024.
The Indian Men's Hockey Team embarked on their journey to Antwerp, Belgium on Tuesday for the Europe leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24. This leg of the league will determine the winner of the season. Currently ranked third in the points table, behind the Netherlands and Australia, India will face off against Belgium and Argentina in Antwerp from May 22 to 26. They will then head to London for matches against Germany and Great Britain from June 1 to 9.
The team has their sights set on not only clinching the top spot in the prestigious league, but also on addressing any weaknesses before the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris this July. "We are all thrilled to hit the road once again for this challenging tournament where we will be pitted against the world's best teams in the FIH Hockey Pro League," exclaimed captain Harmanpreet Singh before the team's departure.
"Our recent training camp at SAI, Bengaluru has been intense and we have been working hard on our fitness and playing regular intra-squad matches. The team is shaping up well and the Pro League is an important event for us to fine-tune our performance before the Olympics," added the ace drag flicker.
Harmanpreet also highlighted the significance of the matches in Antwerp and London, stating that they will not only provide valuable insights into their own game and how they are functioning as a unit, but also into the strategies of their opponents. "Belgium and Argentina are in our pool for the Olympics, along with Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. We will be facing both Belgium and Argentina in Antwerp, giving us a chance to test our best combinations before the final squad is selected for Paris. This makes the Pro League outing crucial for our preparations as well as for players to secure a spot in the 16-member squad," explained Harmanpreet, who is currently one of the top three highest goal scorers this season with six goals.
India's European leg will kick off on May 22 with their first match against Argentina, followed by two consecutive matches against Belgium on May 23 and 25. They will then face off against Argentina again on May 26 before heading to London where they will take on Germany on June 1 and 8, followed by matches against the host team, Great Britain, on June 2 and 9.
"We have finished in third position in the past few seasons of the Pro League. It would be fantastic to clinch the top spot this time and we are feeling quite optimistic about it," signed off the India captain.
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