logo
Indian women's hockey team leaves for European leg of FIH Pro League 2024-25

Indian women's hockey team leaves for European leg of FIH Pro League 2024-25

India Gazette28-05-2025

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 28 (ANI): The Indian women's hockey team departed from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport for Amsterdam on May 28 morning, kicking off the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25 (Women).
The team will train in Amsterdam, Netherlands, until June 8 before heading to London, UK, for their first four matches against Australia and Argentina. India will take on the Australia Women's Team on June 14 and 15, followed by matches against the Argentina Women's Team on June 17 and June 18.
Subsequently, the team will travel to Antwerp on June 19 for their next two matches against the Belgium National Team, scheduled for June 21 and June 22. They will conclude the European leg with two matches against China on June 28 and June 29 in Berlin, Germany, a release said.
Ahead of departure, Indian women's hockey team captain Salima Tete highlighted the significance of the tour, stating, 'This is a very crucial leg of the FIH Pro League for us, as we will be facing four very strong teams. We've already played a test match against Australia earlier this year, and we'll further fine-tune our strategy in Amsterdam before our matches against the Hockeyroos and others.'
Vice-Captain Navneet Kaur echoed Salima's thoughts, adding, 'We know we have some tough games ahead, but the team is confident after our performance in the Bhubaneswar leg of the Pro League. We're determined to go all out and collect valuable points in Europe.'
India will look to build on their February momentum, when they held world No. 1 Netherlands to a 2-2 draw and earned a bonus point in the shootout in Bhubaneswar. Earlier this month, the team also tested new combinations in Perth, Australia, during five friendly matches against Australia A and the Hockeyroos. (ANI)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

England vs India: Shubman Gill plays with a dead bat ahead of first series as India captain
England vs India: Shubman Gill plays with a dead bat ahead of first series as India captain

Indian Express

time27 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

England vs India: Shubman Gill plays with a dead bat ahead of first series as India captain

The inscrutable Mr. Gill has taken guard. Dead-batting everything thrown at him, staying poker-faced and giving absolutely nothing away as India depart for one of their most consequential red-ball series in recent times. Gill found the news of his captaincy 'overwhelming'. Facing England's Bazzballers would be 'exciting'. And India, without Jasprit Bumrah for all five Tests, still has a 'good mix of experience and talent'. There was no emotion, not even a faint smile until he left the room, in this 15-minute cliche-thon. Perhaps, Gill was simply settling into this highly-scrutinised role. Or maybe, it was by design to keep all the cards close to the chest ahead of India's biggest red-ball series of the year. For, seated next to him, head coach Gautam Gambhir remained equally guarded. India leave for England on the back of two consecutive Test series defeats, against New Zealand at home and Australia away. It feels like a lifetime since the twin debacles and the ICC Champions Trophy triumph in the interim may have healed some of the pain. But Gambhir acknowledged the pressure ahead of the first Test in Leeds starting on June 20. How will #TeamIndia fill the big shoes of @imVkohli & @ImRo45 in the Tests vs England? New captain @ShubmanGill & head coach @GautamGambhir share their thoughts. WATCH ENGLAND LIONS vs IND A | TOMORROW, 3:30 PM ONWARDS, ON JIOHOTSTAR — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 5, 2025 'I am always under pressure. I was under pressure after losing to New Zealand and Australia, I was under pressure after winning the Champions Trophy,' Gambhir said. 'You want results in every match as a coach. It is not about winning or losing. The pressure is always there.' This will be India's first Test series after the retirements of former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as well as ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. And with an unfit Mohammed Shami omitted, India's 18-man squad looks thin on experience. Sai Sudharsan, Arshdeep Singh and Abhimanyu Easwaran are yet to play a Test while Karun Nair, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna are returning to the side after long layoffs. It might feel like the start of a new era, under a new captain. But Gambhir didn't see it like that. The players were in a 'good space', he said. '(But) It really doesn't matter if it is a clean slate or not. What's important is that we have a talented squad who are willing to go out there, express themselves and do something special.' The first big puzzle Gill and Gambhir will have to solve is the utilisation of Bumrah. The pace spearhead will miss at least one of the five Tests due to workload management, to avoid a repeat of the back injury suffered in Australia. Gambhir said the team hasn't yet decided which matches Bumrah will play. 'We are going to have a discussion with him and depending on the series as well. A lot will depend on the results of matches, where the series is heading. That is something which I am sure he (Bumrah) is very well aware of as well,' he said. The X-Factor! 👊🏻 Will @Jaspritbumrah93 be the deciding factor in #TeamIndia's quest to conquer England after 18 years? 👀#ENGvIND | 1st Test starts 20th June, 2:30 PM, Streaming On JioHotstar! — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 5, 2025 Mohammed Siraj is expected to lead the bowling attack in Bumrah's absence, like he did in Australia. Apart from him, Gill will have Krishna, Akash Deep and Arshdeep as the other pace-bowling specialists with all-rounders Nitish Reddy and Thakur too as options. 'I think we have picked enough pace battery and a lot of fast bowlers are in a great space to be able to win us Test matches from any situation or any position,' Gill said. 'Obviously, when you have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, depending on how many matches he would play, whenever he would come back and play a match for us, it would be a great sight for us. But I think we have a great mix of bowlers who can get the job done for the team.' Gambhir was quick to back his captain. 'I said it before the Champions Trophy (which Bumrah didn't play) as well, it will give someone the opportunity to put his hand up and we have got enough talent there. I know that he (Bumrah) is quality but we have got enough quality apart from him as well in the squad.' The captain and coach chose not to give away much on the batting order and team combinations either, saying they'd study the conditions in England before taking those calls. Gill did give some insights, though. He hinted that he'll take a cue from Rohit's captaincy model, wherein the focus was on 'clear communication'. A determined captain! 🔥😎 Will leading #TeamIndia fuel @ShubmanGill's form in English conditions? 👀#ENGvIND | 1st Test starts 20th June, 2:30 PM, Streaming On JioHotstar! — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 5, 2025 'There is no particular style. With time and experience, my personal style will flourish,' he admitted candidly. At the same time, the 25-year-old — India's youngest Test captain after Sachin Tendulkar — wanted to make everyone feel 'secure'. 'I prefer to have communication with the players regarding their strengths and weaknesses, and help them out. It's important for the captain to make sure players feel secure,' Gill said. He wouldn't give away much when asked specifically about the England tour, which he said would be like 'any other series' in terms of pressure. 'As such, there is no different pressure. All the players and teams are used to how to play in pressure situations and how to win,' he said.

Not fazed by Bazball, Shubman Gill aims to craft own Test captaincy style
Not fazed by Bazball, Shubman Gill aims to craft own Test captaincy style

India Today

time35 minutes ago

  • India Today

Not fazed by Bazball, Shubman Gill aims to craft own Test captaincy style

India's new Test captain Shubman Gill has said he does not intend to follow any particular style of leadership, instead hoping to shape his own identity as he gains experience. Gill, however, stressed his focus on providing teammates with clarity and a secure environment to perform at their was addressing the media for the first time since being appointed as India's Test captain. He and head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters on the eve of the team's departure to England for a five-match Test captain last month by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, Gill takes over following Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket. He will lead a youthful and relatively inexperienced squad in England, with both Rohit and Virat Kohli stepping away from the longest format in June. "My style of captaincy will be my own; it will develop with experience. I will want to make the players feel safe, comfort them, and build strong bonds. Players need to feel secure... only then can they give 100 percent," said 25, Gill is among the youngest to lead the Indian Test side in recent years. While he lacks leadership experience in red-ball cricket, he captained India during a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in 2024 and led Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, embracing the pressure that comes with the in first-class cricket, Gill has captained Punjab in just five matches, winning only admitted he was overwhelmed upon learning of his appointment, having been chosen ahead of experienced players like Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, both former captains."When I came to know about the Test captaincy, I was overwhelmed by the honour and the opportunity. It is a big responsibility, and I'm looking forward to the challenge," he NOT BOTHERED BY BAZBALL TALKS India's campaign in England will mark the beginning of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The first Test begins on 20 June at Headingley, under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, have reinvented their Test game with an ultra-aggressive style dubbed 'Bazball'. While they were outplayed by India in their 2023 away series, they remain formidable at home, having won 15 of their 20 Tests since the duo took however, remained unfazed by England's aggressive approach."They play a certain way. I think we saw that when they came to India as well," he said."It's very exciting for us. It gives us an opportunity, a great challenge. If we are very proactive with our execution and with our plans, I think it would put them under immense pressure."Tune In You May Also Like

Indonesia Open: Satwik-Chirag survive litany of errors, clutch up in end game to reach last eight
Indonesia Open: Satwik-Chirag survive litany of errors, clutch up in end game to reach last eight

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Indonesia Open: Satwik-Chirag survive litany of errors, clutch up in end game to reach last eight

It is perhaps Abhinav Bindra's favourite mantra – 'seeking perfection on an imperfect day.' It's the sort of match where their Indian coaches in Hyderabad won't hesitate to call the level of their errors throughout the match 'rubbish' to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's faces – before gushing about how the denouement wound up being 'bloody brilliant'. Chirag himself spoke of the pair 'playing stupid', before a Satwik service at 19-20 ended up being 'phenomenal' and how his own serve was 'quite good' at 20-20 in the decider, after an hour of nightmarish serves from them. Coach Tan Kim Her even told them at some point that 'it's OK if you lose.' They never looked like winning, until they did. Out of these far-from-ideal moments in a 68-minute cliffhanger, full of landslides, hatched out a 16-21, 21-18, 22-20 win that put the Indians into the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 – one of the four biggest Tour events in badminton. As Satwik-Chirag beat Danish Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard, who had evicted World No 3 Aaron-Wooi in the previous round, some jarring notes were hit, before the last 3 minutes of the game suddenly turned magical. It was bad badminton all-round, but none more wincing for those watching that the two Indians clanged their racquets twice, going for the same shuttle in shuddering moments of confusion. Chirag was faulted on his serve multiple times; Satwik's service was plain pulped and smothered by Kjaer-Sogaard, and that wasn't even the worst of the sorry statistics. The Danes deployed tumble serves freely and fiendishly, and were under strict orders to inflict maximum damage on the Indians via a known vulnerability – Satwik-Chirag's tentative return of serves that has blighted their past two seasons. The Indian attack, which is always so cohesive, lacked any sting and was drowning in scratchy shot-making and cacophonous exchanges. Chirag was mighty cagey at the net initially, and Satwik a tad unsure of whether to fill in on the front court or control from the back. All this meant, the Danes, unusually upbeat and bouncy, led through the first set, and took it on a canter. At the change of ends, the Indian nerves settled. And though they remained mismatched in their tempo and prone to errors with their tame lifts, the basic serve and receiving in the first three shots got calmer. Chirag – as it happens so often – forgot about trying to make his net-job seem perfect and precise, and allowed his instinct to rule as he started getting in winners, freeing up Satwik to send his pushes and curling lifts to scatter the Danes. They went from 14-14 to 19-14 in a jiffy with smarter interceptions, and pushed the decider. The racquets clashing at 8-8, a Kjaer flick serve looping over them and shoddy high lifts made them look like a pair that was World No 22. But of course, at a cellular, fundamental level, these are World No 1s, with an ability to win in their sinewy muscle memory. So the match rumbled on to 19-19. It was here that Satwik went for broke with a risky flat drive serve that no analyst might find a precedent off against his name. 'Maybe it was game awareness,' he told BWF. 'No one in the stadium will expect me to do a flat service. I never practice those. I told Chirag, OK, I want to try. Because nobody will expect it. For sure, even if they watch videos, they won't find me shooting it. They will find Chirag shooting it. I don't have the feeling of doing a short serve and catching the next one… so I just tried,' he mused. Chirag errors always are followed by 3 winners he takes it upon himself to compensate with. The last rally was scrappy, but Satwik scooped one that fell on the sideline at the back. In the quarters, they play the Malaysians Man-Tee. Satwik accepted the win was scrappy. 'Today we were not at our best…we only gave away points…15-20 points. They didn't do anything. We made mistakes. I felt we were not focussed enough. We were not there today. But we kept on believing in one point at a time. Coach kept telling us to calm down. Relax. He said it's OK if you lose also. We said let's play our game. See how it goes. That's why I pointed to the coach (after the win) to indicate, yes, we listened to you.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store