Representative image.© Hockey India

Their campaign back on track after a jittery start, India will look to continue the winning momentum when they take on Paris Olympics silver medallist Germany in their next men’s FIH Pro League match here on Tuesday. India had a woeful start to their home leg matches of the Pro League, losing 1-3 to Spain in their opener. But the hosts bounced back strongly to tame Spain 2-0 in the return match on Sunday. With three points from two games, India are currently sitting in eighth place in the standings and will be desperate to climb up the table.

After a relatively off day on Saturday, the Indians looked a completely different side on Sunday, dominating for most part of the match and scoring two field goals through Mandeep Singh (32nd minute) and Dilpreet Singh (39th) to pocket all three points.

While the strikers shone bright in the second game, India’s chief coach Craig Fulton would be a bit concerned about penalty corner conversions.

Despite winning seven penalty corners across their two games, India failed to convert a single chance.

In the absence of India captain Harmanpreet Singh, who was rested for the second match, Hockey India League star performer Jugraj Singh cut a sorry figure from set pieces.

The forwardline comprising Dilpreet , Mandeep and Sukhjeet Singh have each netted a goal for India so far in the tournament and will be looking to add to their tally against Germany.

The Indian defence produced a much-better display in the second game, and were able to absorb pressure from the Spanish strikers.

Germany, who will be playing their first match of the India leg, are placed just above India in seventh place with four points from as many games and will be determined to turn their fortunes around.

Although Germany have won only one match in the tournament so far, their attack has been spearheaded by Raphael Hartkopf, Gonzalo Peillat, and Thies Prinz, who have scored two goals each.

Germany will aim to turn around their struggling campaign and secure vital points.

The two sides last met during a two-match Test series in New Delhi in October 2024, where Germany won the first game 2-0, but India bounced back in the second with a thrilling 5-3 victory.

However, Germany went on to claim the series through a shootout win.

Speaking on the upcoming matches, Harmanpreet said, “We are looking forward to our games against Germany. They are a quality team, and we know we need to bring our best performance to the field.

“After the positive result against Spain, our confidence is high, but we know there’s still work to be done. One of our main focuses is improving our penalty corner conversion, as it’s crucial to make the most of those opportunities in tight matches.” “The team is motivated and ready to build on the momentum from our last game. We’ve learned from both the matches, and we’re determined to bring our best performance to the field,” he added. 

The Indian men’s hockey team made a brilliant comeback to down Spain 2-0 in a return leg match of the FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. India lost to Spain 1-3 in the first match of the leg on Saturday despite taking the lead through Sukhjeet Singh’s goal. On Sunday, however, it was a completely different looking Indian side as it dominated for most part of the match and scored two field goals through Mandeep Singh (32nd minute) and Dilpreet Singh (39th) to pocket full three points. India will next play Germany on Tuesday.

It was India who enjoyed the better share of ball possession and created more chances in the first two quarters but failed to capitalise those into goals.

India had the first chance in the fifth minute when Mandeep got a golden opportunity inside the circle, but the Spanish keeper Rafael Rivilla made a solid save to deny the Indian striker.

Seconds from the end of the first quarter, India earned back-to-back penalty corners, but Jugraj Singh faltered.

India custodian Krishan Bahadur Pathak made a fine save to deny Spain their first shot on goal in the 14th minute.

India dominated possession and pressed hard in the first two quarters, but failed to breach a resolute Spanish defence as both the teams failed to break the deadlock in the first half.

Two minutes after the change of ends, India secured another penalty corner but Spanish goalkeeper Revilla made double save to deny Jugraj.

But from the resultant free hit, Mandeep neatly deflected in Dilpreet’s pass from close range to hand India the lead.

Seven minutes later, Dilpreet scored his 32nd goal for India with a brilliant deflection after being set up by Mandeep and Gurjant Singh.

In the 43rd minute, Spain earned a penalty corner but their dragflicker Pepe Cunill missed the target.

India also got a penalty corner soon but Jugraj misfired again.

Trailing by two goals, Spain pressed on the accelerator, earning a couple of penalty corners in the final quarter but the Indian defence stood tall in the absence of skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who was rested for the game.

Earlier in the day, the Indian women’s hockey team fought back twice before going down 1-2 in shoot-out against England after both the teams finished 2-2 in regulation time.

Paige Gillot (40th minute) and Tessa Howard (56th) scored from two penalty corners for England in the regulation timer, while India’s goals came from Navneet Kaur (53rd) and Rutuja Dadoso Pisal (57th). Kaur scored off a penalty stroke while Rutuja struck a field goal.

In the shoot-out, only Navneet scored for India while the likes of skipper Salima Tete, Sunelita Toppo and Lalremsiami faltered.

For England, Lily Walker and skipper Sophie Hamilton were on target in the shoot-out.

The win gave England a bonus point. India had earlier defeated England 3-2 in the first leg here on Saturday.

The Indian women will next play Spain on Tuesday.

England started on an aggressive note, dominating the early exchanges. They enjoyed the ball possession in the first quarter and secured the first penalty corner of the match in the ninth minute but failed to get past experienced Savita Punia in front of Indian goal.

England continued their domination and secured the second penalty corner in the 11th minute but once again failed to breach the Indian defence.

Kaur was by far the best player for India upfront, creating chances for her side with quick incisive runs.

Kaur secured India’s first penalty corner in the 16th minute, which resulted in another set piece but England goalkeeper denied Manisha Chauhan from the second attempt.

In the 21st minute, Kaur was once again denied by the English keeper from close range.

A minute later, India earned another penalty corner, but Deepika’s flick went wide as both the teams failed to break the deadlock in the first half.

After the change of ends, England had the first chance in the form of another penalty corner in the 38th minute and another two minutes later, which eventually broke the deadlock.

Gillot neatly deflected in a perfect slap shot from skipper Sophie Hamilton to hand England the 1-0 lead.

In the 53rd minute, India secured a penalty stroke for a stick tackle, and Kaur made no mistake from the spot.

Three minutes later, India goalkeeper Savita made a brilliant saved with her extended left leg from a set piece.

But minutes later, England secured another penalty corner and Howard deflected in Hamilton’s slap hit.

Soon after the goal, India withdrew goalkeeper Savita for an extra field player and Rutuja scored a brilliant debut goal from Sunelita’s pass to draw parity.

Seconds from the final hooter, England secured another penalty corner but India defended stoutly to take the match into the shoot-out.

Spain took sweet revenge for their defeat against India in the bronze-medal match at the Paris Olympics, overcoming Harmanpreet Singh’s side 3-1 in a FIH men’s Pro League game in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. India put up a lackluster show in their first Pro League match this season, even as Spain showed loads of determination with Borja Lacalle (28th), Ignacio Cobos (38th) and Bruno Avila (56th) slotting home the goals after the hosts had taken the lead in the 25th minute through Sukhjeet Singh.

The first quarter was all about gauging one another’s strengths. Barring a run by Abhishek, who managed to create a chance for Lalit Upadhyay, the Spanish goalkeeper was hardly tested.

India goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur too was rarely tested with the ball just hitting the far post and getting deflected, that too from outside the striking circle.

India brought in keeper Suraj Karkera in the second quarter, and he was called into action almost immediately. He did well to thwart Spain from scoring the opening goal following a good move from the right.

Sukhjeet opened the scoring for the hosts in the 25th minute following a speedy run and circle penetration from the right by Jarmanpreet Singh. The defender relayed the ball to Sukhjeet, who failed to trap it cleanly in his first attempt, but recovered well to send a powerful reverse-hit flying past the Spanish goalkeeper.

Three minutes later, Spain slotted home the equaliser. The rival team forwards prised open the Indian defence with a couple of passes inside the circle before Borja Lacalle, at the far post, tapped the ball in.

With India lacking cohesion upfront and a defensive strategy, Ignacio doubled the lead in the third quarter.

Spain were awarded a penalty corner but a poor trap from Borja saw him let the ball through. He, however, rushed back to take the ball in control and relayed it to Cobos inside the circle, who made no mistake in putting it in.

Spain looked clearly the better side as India conceded multiple penalty corners in the third and fourth quarters.

The European side piled more misery on the hosts when Harmanpreet tried to get an aerial pass from Spain under control and ended up conceding a penalty corner.

Bruno Avila then slotted home his maiden international goal with a powerful drag flick.

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India vs Spain LIVE Telecast: The Indian men’s hockey team, currently ranked fifth in the world, is all set to kickstart their highly anticipated FIH Pro League 2024-25 campaign. Led by Harmanpreet Singh, the Indian squad will open their campaign with two thrilling matches against World No. 8 Spain on February 15 and 16, followed by intense clashes against World No. 4 Germany on February 18 and 19. India’s campaign will open at home, thus offering a prime opportunity for the team to showcase their recent momentum. Following their encounters with Germany, India will take on Ireland on February 21 and 22, before facing the formidable World No. 2 England on February 24 and 25.

With their bonze medal triumph at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side has proven their mettle on the international stage. The team was last seen in action during a two-match Test series at home against Germany in October 2024, where India bounced back from a 2-0 defeat in the first game to defeat the visitors 5-3 in the second. Though Germany won the series via shootout, the competitive performances added confidence to India’s preparations for the FIH Pro League.

Earlier, India showcased their prowess by successfully defending their title at the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 in September, winning all their matches and cementing their position as one of Asia’s strongest teams.

Harmanpreet Singh will be joined by vice-captain Hardik Singh as they lead a well-balanced squad filled with both experience and youthful talent. Senior players such as Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Sumit, Sanjay, Jugraj Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad will form the backbone of the team while emerging stars like Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh and Arshdeep Singh bring fresh energy and skill to the lineup.

When will the India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match take place?

The India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match will take place on Saturday, February 15.

Where will the India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match be held?

The India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match will be held at Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

What time will the India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match start?

The India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match will start at 7:30 PM IST.

Which TV channels will show the live telecast of the India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match?

The India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match will be televised live on Star Sport Select 2, Star Sports 3 and DD Sports TV channels in India.

Where to follow the live streaming of the India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match?

The India vs Spain, FIH Hockey Pro League Match will be live streamed on JioHotstar.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

With IANS Inputs

File photo of Harmanpreet Singh.© Instagram

Indian midfielder Shamsher Singh, who is currently co-captaining Delhi SG Pipers in the ongoing Hockey India League that India’s bronze medal at the Paris Olympics was farewell gift to the legendary PR Sreejesh. With their third-place finish in the Paris Olympics, the Harmanpreet Singh-led men’s team proved that the historic bronze in the Tokyo Games three years ago was not a flash in the pan. The Indian team, who was having a flawless campaign in the group stage with only loss, faced a shocking defeat against Germany in the semi-finals.

However, the Indians showed their true mettle and bounced back in the third place against Spain and clinched the bronze medal.

The medal ensured the legendary PR Sreejesh, one of the team’s biggest pillars for nearly two decades, got the send-off he deserved after he decided to retire from the sport.

“His absence will always be felt but the important factor is that who will be replacing him. We have faith in Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera, who have replaced Sreejesh in our team. Both the players have shared field with Sreejesh and our very experienced, so, that’s a good thing for our team.

Shamsher is currently leading Delhi SG Pipers in the ongoing Hockey India League in Rourkela, Odisha. On his role as a captain, Shamsher said that it’s a new experience but a great opportunity as a player.

“My game style is same but the responsibility is different. Every player in the team contributes equally but as a captain, you need to take a step further. This is the first time that I am leading any team and I am honoured that Delhi SG Pipers showed trust in me,” he said.

“My main role as the captain is to create a comfortable environment for both foreign and domestic players. We need to find a perfect balance, in order to find out the strengths of all our players,” he added.

Currently, Delhi SG Pipers have played four matches in the ongoing HIL and have lost three matches and placed at the bottom of the points table. Their only win came against Team Gonasika in the opening match, where they won 4-2 in the shootout.

Delhi SG Pipers will now be squaring off against UP Rudras on January 11.

Representative image.© X (Twitter)

The Indian junior men’s hockey team defeated arch-rival Pakistan with a 5-3 scoreline in the high-scoring final of the Men’s Junior Asia Cup in Muscat, Oman on Wednesday to successfully defend their title. Hockey India has announced a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh for each player and Rs 1 lakh to each support staff for their impeccable title defence and dominating performances in the Men’s Junior Asia Cup. Araijeet Singh Hundal (4′, 18′, 47′, 54′) showed top form for India and Dilraj Singh (19′) scored a brace to join him on the scoresheet. On the other hand, Pakistan’s Captain Shahid Hannan (3′) and Sufyan Khan (30′, 39′) tried their utmost to keep their team in the final for the majority of the game.

India has now lifted the trophy in this tournament a record five times, including their previous triumphs in 2023, 2015, 2008 and 2004.

While India were settling into the game, Pakistan’s Captain Shahid Hannan pounced on a stray ball in the shooting circle and beat Bikramjeet Singh in a one-on-one to steal a goal for Pakistan.

India responded immediately by earning a penalty corner (PC) and Araijeet Singh Hundal unleashed a powerful drag flick to the right top corner to restore parity in the final. Both teams went on to trade circle entries but couldn’t find the back of the net till the end of the first quarter.

Within three minutes of the second quarter, India were awarded another penalty corner and Araijeet stepped up again, finding the gap between Pakistan’s goalkeeper Muhammad Janjua and the post-man with a thunderous drag flick to give India the lead.

Following this, the Indian forwards relentlessly pressured Pakistan’s defence. Soon, Dilraj weaved past two defenders on the left wing and struck the board, extending India’s lead to 3-1. Although Pakistan mounted occasional attacks on the Indian goal and earned a penalty corner as the first half came to a close, Sufyan Khan showcased his drag-flicking skills, beating Bikramjit Singh in goal to make it 3-2.

Araijeet created two chances in quick succession as the third quarter began but Pakistan’s goalkeeper Muhammad Janjua pulled out amazing saves on both occasions to keep Pakistan in the match. Both teams went back and forth until Sufyan Khan, with six minutes left in the quarter, flicked the ball into the Indian goal from a penalty corner and ensured Pakistan headed into the last quarter, level on score.

As soon as the last quarter began, India seized the initiative. Manmeet Singh skillfully manoeuvred past his marker and found an unmarked Araijeet in front of the goal, who deflected the ball into the goal to restore India’s lead and complete his hat-trick. With ten minutes to go, Zikriya Hayat embarked on a counter-attack, but Indian goalie Prince Deep Singh rushed out to avert any further danger.

With six minutes left in the game, India earned a penalty corner and employed a variation to free up Araijeet, who smashed the ball into the top right corner with his flick, making it 5-3 for India. As the game headed to a close, Hannan Shahid carved out a significant goal-scoring opportunity, but Prince Deep stood firm in goal, swatting away the attempt and sealing India’s victory.