India men, women’s hockey teams begin season with Pro League matches in Bhubaneswar next month

Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 (PTI) The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will commence their international assignments this year with the high-profile FIH Pro League matches here from February 15.

The Indian men’s team will face Spain, while their women counterparts will take on England on February 15 at the Kalinga Stadium.

Most of the Indian men’s and women’s team players are currently playing in the Hockey India League (HIL) in Rourkela and Ranchi respectively.

The Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Pro League will be after the Australia leg (February 04-09) in Sydney.

Between February 15 and 25, the men’s teams of India, Spain, England, Germany and Ireland will go head-to-head with all teams reaching the half-way point of their season by the end of the Bhubaneswar stage.

“Following the Australian leg, the league will move to Bhubaneswar, India, renowned for its passionate hockey fan base. It will be the same in the women’s competition for India, Spain, England, Germany and Netherlands,” FIH said in a release.

“With 24 matches over the 11 days, the action will be unceasing among the top ranked teams in the world, which will be a true showcase of the ‘League of the Best’.”

The FIH Pro League action this year will begin in Australia. The Kookaburras, who won the title in the previous edition, will start off their defence against reigning Olympic champions Netherlands, and Spain.

The Hockeyroos will also start their 2024/25 campaign simultaneously, facing off against China and Spain.

Both the Spanish teams will play their first matches of the season in the Sydney stage of the Pro League, with the women’s team making their first appearance since 2020 having qualified for the current season by winning the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in 2024.

China women will look to continue their strong start to the season after taking eight points from the opening four games of their season, played at home in Hangzhou.

Netherlands men, meanwhile, will be hoping to return to their best, after an uncharacteristic start slow saw them pick up no wins in their opening four games, totalling six points through three draws and a loss.

The FIH Pro League action will also simultaneously continue in Argentina as the Bhubaneswar stage goes on, with Santiago del Estero hosting the final stage from the first half of the season from February 19 to 24.

Locking horns in front of the large crowds will be Argentina, Belgium and Australia, in both the men’s and women’s competition.

At the end of the Bhubaneswar and Santiago del Estero stages, all men and women teams will have played eight matches, marking the halfway point of the season, giving us a clear picture of the title race for the 2024-25 season.

Australia men and Netherlands women are the title holders from the previous season.