FIH Pro League: India women's team create chances but Belgium prove to be too clinical

Indian Express

22-06-2025

The Indian women's hockey team playing against Belgium and losing 2-0 in the FIH Pro League felt like the re-run of a movie one has seen so many times.
Indian players entered their opponent's circles, created chances and had shots on goal but at the end of the match had nothing to show for their efforts. Belgium scored both their strikes in the third quarter with Ambre Ballenghein scoring a field goal in the 40th minute and Lien Hillewaert finding the net from an innovative penalty-corner variation in the 43rd minute.
The relegation risk to the FIH Nations Cup increased further for the Indian team as they slipped to the last spot in the points table and the other relegation battling team in England moved to the seventh spot with a 4-1 win over Spain.
The match started with Belgium attacking in the very first minute but the Indian defence was up to the task. Navneet was fouled the very next minute but India failed to take advantage of the free hit. The attacks from India continued as Navneet played a beautiful ball from midfield to Beauty Dung Dung who was in a 2v1 position with Rutuja in the circle but got caught in two minds over whether to pass the ball or shoot it. It was eventually parried away by Clerk de Perrine.
India earned their first penalty corner on the back of that move and Navneet tried changing the angle with a cross hit but the ball went just wide of the post. Indian players were attempting to attack the Belgium goal but were wasteful with their chances. In the ninth minute, Deepika made a brilliant run in the circle but the final pass was fluffed by Sharmila Devi – a recurring theme for the Indian attack throughout the game.
Belgium won their first penalty corner in the tenth minute and were awarded a penalty stroke in the aftermath as the umpire deemed that a shot in the aftermath of the penalty corner had hit Jyoti Singh's hand but a quick review from India overturned the decision. The first quarter was a feisty one with both teams failing to score despite generating clear-cut chances.
The second quarter was more dramatic as India started well but Navneet and Lalremsiami both wasted their chances in the circle and Beauty failed to trap a pass from the midfield. It was all Belgium after that initial burst. While both teams battled for control in the midfield, the drama unfolded in the last seconds when the ball got stuck to the shoes of Belgian goalkeeper Maite Bussels. While the Indian bench shouted for a penalty corner to be awarded, the players on the field were slow to refer for it and the hooter for the half time went off.
Belgium came out all guns blazing in the third quarter and they scored their first goal in the 40th minute as Ballenghein smartly deflected a shot beyond Savita Punia in goal. On the other end, India won a penalty corner but Deepika's flick was thwarted by first-rusher Emma Purvez.
In the 43rd minute, Hillewaert scored a superb variation from the penalty corner. After injecting the ball, she received it from the first battery and lifted it to the top of the net from a narrow angle to give Belgium a 2-0 lead. India continued their attacks after going down two goals but the lack of quality in the final moments kept hurting them.
India entered the circle seven times in the final quarter but the likes of Sunelita, Baljeet, and Beauty were guilty of wasting chances created. India will travel to Germany to play China in the last two games and are locked in a relegation battle with England who are one point ahead and have to play Germany twice.