Antwerp: The Indian men’s hockey team played its last two FIH Hockey Pro League games this weekend against Germany and Great Britain, with an eye on the Paris Olympics. They are looking to iron out any chinks in their armor.
India’s matchups this weekend were against the world champions Germany on Saturday and the hosts, Great Britain, on Sunday.
India has 24 points from 14 matches, enough for fourth place in the points standings after the Antwerp stage and two matches in London.
Having played seven matches so far, Germany and Great Britain are now ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.
Vice captain Hardik Singh said, “We have played some good hockey, but there are still some areas where we need to improve if we want the result to go in our favor.”
“We want to start these next two games with a strong attitude and focus on our best lineups. We’ll take it step by step, work hard to play hockey, and most of all, try to maintain the momentum,” he said.
India began their trip to Antwerp with a 2-2 (5-4 SO) shootout victory against Argentina, but lost 1-4 to Belgium. They were defeated 5-4 by Argentina after losing 2-2 (1-3 SO) in a shootout against the same opponent.
India defeated Germany 3-0 in London before losing their second game against Britain 1-3.
“Everyone on the squad is aware of how crucial the London round of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023–2024 is to our chances of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Thus, Hardik said, “It is crucial that we give it our all and never take anything for granted.”
