Antwerp (Belgium), June 10: Adequate game time against quality opposition, working on their tactical nous will be high on Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams’ agenda as they resume their respective FIH Pro League campaigns against Belgium on Saturday as pre-cursor to Commonwealth Games.
While the Indian men’s team is scheduled to play hosts Belgium (June 11 and June 12), followed by games against the Netherlands (June 18 and June 19 in Rotterdam), the women will play Belgium (June 11 and June 12), Argentina (June 18 and June 19) and the United States (June 21 and June 22).
For the Indian women, these matches hold greater significance ahead of the FIH Women’s World Cup to be jointly hosted by Spain and the Netherlands from July 1 to 17.
The Indian men are currently placed second in the league standings with 27 points from 12 games, a rung above Belgium, who have the same number of points but are placed below on goal difference.
So, there is hardly anything to separate between the India and Belgium.
For India, the back-to-back matches would provide them with an opportunity to reclaim their top spot in the league, which has been taken away by the Netherlands with 28 points from 10 games.
Besides making a mark in the Pro-League, the matches would also provide valuable game time for both the national teams ahead of the Birmingham Games, scheduled to be held from July 28 to August 8.
With eyes firmly set on podium finishes at this year’s Birmingham Games, both men’s and women’s hockey chief coaches Graham Reid and Janneka Schopman had already insisted that they are looking at the European leg of the league to gain better tactical insights about their respective sides.
The Indian men have fielded a 20-member squad under the leadership of Amit Rohidas, while, the 24-member women’s team will be led by goalkeeper Savita. (PTI)
