Indian men's hockey team leaves for European Leg of FIH Pro League

Bengaluru: Eyeing fruitful outings against some of the top hockey nations, the Indian men’s team departed for the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25 on Thursday.

The European segment of the competition will take place at Amstelveen, the Netherlands, and Antwerp, Belgium, between June 7 and June 22.

“This European leg is crucial for us as we face some of the world's best teams. We had a few mixed results in the Bhubaneswar Leg, but we are in a good position in the standings and we will build on this,” captain Harmanpreet Singh said ahead of the team’s departure here.

India are currently third in the standings with 15 points in the Pro League behind England and Belgium (16 points each).

“Our focus is on securing maximum points and qualifying for the next year's World Cup through this tournament,” Harmanpreet added.

India will kick off their European leg with back-to-back matches against the Netherlands on June 7 and 9, followed by a double-header against Argentina on June 11 and 12 at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

The team will then head to Antwerp to lock horns with Australia on June 14 and 15 before ending their campaign with two crucial matches against hosts Belgium on June 21 and 22.

Vice-captain Hardik Singh termed the European leg of the competition as a golden chance for the team to play against the “best in the world.” “We have had a very productive training camp over the last few weeks (in Bengaluru). I am confident that the boys will deliver in Europe. The atmosphere in the squad is very positive, and everyone is pushing each other to perform at their best.

“These matches will be a great opportunity to test ourselves against some of the best in the world,” he added.