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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIH Pro League 2024-25: All you need to know, points table, schedule, live streaming info
The 2024-25 edition of FIH Pro League will resume on Saturday, with the European leg played across the continent till the end of June. The league started on November 30 and had the first leg played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India. How many countries are competing in FIH Pro League? Nine countries are participating in the 2024-25 FIH Pro League. FIH Pro League Men Australia, Netherlands, England, India, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Ireland FIH Pro League Women Australia, Netherlands, England, India, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Belgium, China The tournament played for over six months allows the winner to get a direct qualification into the FIH Hockey World Cup next year. Australia (men) and Netherlands (women), having won their respective FIH Pro League last season, have earned their World Cup spots. The Dutch men's team and Belgium – both men's and women's teams – have qualified by default as hosts. The remaining teams will look to occupy the lone spot left and lift the Pro League trophy. How has India performed in the Pro League so far? The Indian men's team, under coach Craig Fulton, has won five of the eight matches so far and sits third in the standings below England and Belgium. Though it began the campaign with a 1-3 loss to Spain, its last match was a 2-1 win over England at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The women's team started with a win over defending Pro League champion, the Netherlands, but has failed to maintain the momentum. With just two wins in eight matches, it is sixth in the standings. FIH Pro League standings: Men Position Team MP W D SO-Bonus L GF GA GD Points 1. England 8 4 2 2 2 25 15 9 16 2. Belgium 8 4 3 1 1 23 18 5 16 3. India 8 5 0 0 3 16 12 4 15 4. Netherlands 8 2 4 4 2 19 19 0 14 5. Germany 8 4 1 0 3 26 19 7 13 6. Australia 8 3 3 0 2 17 13 4 12 7. Spain 8 3 2 1 3 15 14 1 12 8. Argentina 8 3 0 0 5 11 17 -6 9 9. Ireland 8 0 1 0 7 11 35 -24 1 The women's team started with a win over defending Pro League champion, the Netherlands, but has failed to maintain the momentum. With just two wins in eight matches, it is sixth in the standings. FIH Pro League standings: Women Position Team MP W D SO-Bonus L GF GA GD Points 1. Netherlands 8 6 1 0 1 32 12 20 19 2. Belgium 8 5 2 0 1 21 13 8 17 3. China 8 4 3 1 1 19 12 7 16 4. Spain 8 4 1 1 3 15 17 -2 14 5. Argentina 8 3 3 2 2 14 13 1 14 6. India 8 2 2 1 4 13 19 -6 9 7. Australia 8 2 1 1 5 15 16 -1 8 8. Germany 8 1 2 1 5 11 18 -7 6 9. England 8 1 1 1 6 11 31 -20 5 * P - Played, W - Win, SO-Bonus - Win with Shootout , L - Loss, SO L - Loss with Shootout, GF - Goals For, GA - Goals Against, GD - Goals Difference, Pts - Points FIH Pro League schedule Pro League Men June 7, 2025 - Netherlands vs India - 7:30 pm June 9, 2025 - Netherlands vs India - 6:00 pm June 11, 2025 - Argentina vs India - 6:30 pm June 12, 2025 - India vs Argentina - 6:30 pm June 14, 2025 - Australia vs India - 2:00 pm June 15, 2025 - India vs Australia - 2:00 pm June 21, 2025 - Belgium vs India - 7:00 pm June 22, 2025 - Belgium vs India - 7:00 pm Pro League Women June 14, 2025 - Australia vs India - 3:30 pm June 15, 2025 - India vs Australia - 3:00 pm June 17, 2025 - Argentina vs India - 8:00 pm June 18, 2025 - India vs Argentina - 8:00 pm June 21, 2025 - Belgium vs India - 4:30 pm June 22, 2025 - Belgium vs India - 4:30 pm June 28, 2025 - China vs India - 5:30 pm June 29, 2025 - India vs China - 8:00 pm How to watch FIH Pro League in India? The FIH Pro League, both men's and women's, will be broadcast live on Star Sports 3, Star Sports Select 2 and Sports 18 HD. It can also be live-streamed on JioHotstar.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Hockey, FIH Pro League: India get ready for a tough European leg, with a little help from Irish rugby
A weekend watching the Leinster vs Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship must not have been on the bucket list of India's hockey players. But that's how they kicked off their Road to the 2026 World Cup, as spectators at Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium, witnessing the bruising quarterfinal between two Irish Rugby Championship sides. It was the most unlikely way to kick-start the one-year countdown to the World Cup. But at least this didn't involve pulling off stunts in the snowy Alps, which coach Craig Fulton made them do just before the Paris Olympics. 'It helps understand the culture of the country you are in. They take that sport very seriously,' says the Indian chief coach, who keeps innovating with his team-building methods. In early 2024, the start of the Olympic year, the hockey team conquered Table Mountain in Cape Town. Then, just before the Paris Games, where they defended their bronze medal, the players rappelled in the Swiss Alps. If these hikes were designed to prepare the players for the unknown and make them experience 'fear', the trip to Dublin's fabled ground last weekend was to absorb a new culture, but it wasn't just limited to that. There was a tactical element to it, too. 'If you think of the Irish or any team that plays man-to-man, there's a history of being physical. And Ireland is very comfortable being that. It (going to rugby) was just to show the boys another way of a game that is only physical — the more physical you are, the more dominant you are,' Fulton said. 'It was also to improve our own physical capabilities. We can be stronger on the ball, we can be more aggressive in defence within the rules of hockey. So, it was to share a new experience but also show it's relevant.' The lesson in the physicality of sport was also relevant because India's opponents on Saturday in the FIH Pro League, the Netherlands, play hockey in a manner that Fulton described — man-to-man and physical. The match against the Dutch on Saturday will kick off a gruelling period for the men's team, which will play six matches in nine days against world hockey's heavyweight sides. Apart from the Netherlands, India will face Belgium, Australia and Argentina. They can't afford to ease into this leg of matches, too. The Pro League, a glorified exhibition in its earlier renditions, has assumed significance in the last couple of seasons because the competition now doubles up as a World Cup qualifier. India are placed third after the home leg of matches. If they earn enough points from the European leg to finish on top of the nine-team tournament, they will earn a direct berth for the World Cup. 'I think it's pretty clear that this is one of the ways of securing qualification for the World Cup. So definitely, we are putting that as a priority. If it doesn't work out, we have the Asia Cup in August in Bihar,' Fulton said. 'But we have been training well for this. We really want to finish as high as we possibly can and qualify for the World Cup, bearing in mind that Australia, Holland and Belgium have already qualified.' The matches over the next fortnight are also important because they will give India a chance to experience the two World Cup venues, the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen and Antwerp's Sportcentrum. For an entire generation of players, except Manpreet Singh, that has not experienced playing a World Cup on foreign soil — given the last two editions were held in India — getting the feel of the venue, too, will be a priority. Especially playing against the Dutch, in a stadium that is likely to be brimming with orange shirts. India have in the past gone toe-to-toe with the Netherlands but have had trouble in eking out wins — in the last five years, India have beaten them in regulation time just twice. India prepared for the Pro League with three practice matches in Ireland. The Harmanpreet Singn-led side lost the first match, which was due to the lack of acclimatisation according to Fulton, and won the other two. Rugby, of course, was a nice distraction from the routine. But choosing Ireland as a pit stop, Fulton said, had a specific reason. They, like the Netherlands, play man-to-man hockey. 'For the full 60 minutes, it's man-to-man. That's why we chose them as an opposition; to go there beforehand and help us prepare for what we face tomorrow (Saturday),' Fulton said. 'It went well… We had some really good phases of play. We are in a good place.' Indian men's team Pro League schedule: vs the Netherlands: June 7 (7.30 pm); June 9 (6 pm) vs Argentina: June 11 (6.30 pm); June 12 (6.30 pm) vs Australia: June 14 (2 pm); June 15 (2 pm) vs Belgium: June 21 (7 pm); June 22: (7 pm) All times IST, matches live on Jio HotStar and Star Sports Select 2
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
India resumes campaign against the Dutch
As the Indian men's hockey team resumes international duties with its opening game of the European leg of the FIH Pro League against the Netherlands on Saturday, coach Craig Fulton will be looking to achieve several goals over the next 20 days. While the team's primary objective will be to finish on the podium to try and seal a World Cup berth, two big-ticket events in 2026 — the World Cup and the Asian Games — mean the current set of matches will also be important to identify the core of the Indian team and fine-tune game and training plans. 'This (Pro League) is one of the ways of securing qualification for the World Cup, so we are definitely putting that as a priority. Obviously, if it doesn't work out, we have the Asia Cup in August, but we've been training well for this, we really want to try and finish as high as we possibly can and get on the podium,' Fulton said during a pre-match interaction on Friday. India is currently third on the table with 15 points from eight games at home, one behind England and Belgium but the European leg will be a challenge both in terms of the opposition and the acclimatisation. 'We have six games in nine days and we have to travel from Amsterdam to Antwerp, which is two-and-a-half hours, then play the next day. So everything is geared around being physically able to cope with the load. We have four days off after the sixth game, then play Belgium in back-to-back matches. So everything we were pushing for was around being physically conditioned to play the best teams in the world, ' Fulton said. 'We've played some top teams already — Spain, Germany, England, Ireland — and now in Europe, we've got plans for all the teams that are coming up. We are realistically going to go one game at a time, try to get maximum points out of every game, not looking too far ahead. We have 24 players to keep the squad fresh to get through all eight games,' Fulton said. The main target, he insisted, was to constantly improve. 'The last time we played international hockey was in February, so we have a nice challenge playing Holland first, we want to get up to speed quickly tactically, convert our PCs (penalty corners) and field goals. We want to make sure we're good structurally — we've been working on a lot of different structures, both defensive and attacking shape.' Captain Harmanpreet Singh, who was at less than optimum fitness both during the Hockey India League and the India leg of the Pro League due to ankle and wrist injuries, insisted he has fully recovered and was looking forward to the challenge. The team's main drag-flicker, Harmanpreet also reiterated that there was no performance pressure and there were others to share his workload in the PC department. 'The more drag-flickers we have in the team the better. Jugraj Singh has been doing well and I am confident he will convert the chances we get here. But we also have others — Amit (Rohidas), Sanjay, Rajinder (Singh), Neelam (Xess) — and I hope whoever gets the chance will ensure we maintain the scoreboard pressure. 'We scored more field goals than PCs in the previous leg, the main thing is to maintain a balance between the two with the ultimate target being scoring. We try to get at least two PCs per quarter, hopefully we will see a lot of scoring both ways, play smart hockey,' he said.
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
World Cup qualification via Hockey Pro League a priority for India: Coach Craig Fulton
Indian men's hockey team coach Craig Fulton said that World Cup qualification through the FIH Hockey Pro League will be a priority for his side ahead of the start of the European leg of the tournament. India are currently third in the standings, a point behind England and Belgium, who have 16. The winners of the Pro League are guaranteed a spot in the World Cup, but with Belgium and the Netherlands making it to the event as hosts and Germany being defending champions, the team that finishes higher on in the table could get the spot. Speaking to India Today during a virtual press conference, Fulton said that while they can still make the World Cup by winning the Asia Cup, the aim will be to finish higher in the points table and secure their spot. advertisementHockey: Full coverage "I think it's pretty clear that this is one of the ways of securing qualification for the World Cup. So we are putting that as a priority to try and qualify through the Pro League. Obviously, if it doesn't work out, we have the Asia Cup in August in Bihar, in India, but we've been training well for this, so we really wanna try and finish as high as we possibly can and get on the podium." "Bearing in mind that Australia, Holland and Belgium have already qualified because of hosting, and Australia won it last year. Um, the next highest-placed team should get the qualifying spot," said Fulton. 'Taking things one game at a time'India will begin their European leg with two matches against the Netherlands on 7th and 9th June, followed by the double header against Argentina on 11th and 12th June in Amstelveen. After this they will make the trip to Antwerp to take on Australia on 14th and 15th June, before facing Belgium on 21st and 22nd said that while his side will be aiming to get the maximum points out of each match but they will take things one game at a time. "We've played some top teams already in Spain, Germany, England, and Ireland. So, that part of the Pro League is done. We're sitting 3rd, and then now we come to Europe to play Australia, Holland, Belgium, and Argentina. So, I mean, it's a tournament. We've got good plans in place for playing all those teams that are coming up." "We are realistically going one game at a time. We're trying to get maximum points out of every single game. So we're not looking too far ahead. We have one game tomorrow. We need to try and get maximum points out of that. We can get a draw or win out of that. That's our focus. And one game at a time, because we have 24 players, we have to roll the dice and move and keep the squad fresh to get through all 8 games over the period of time.""So we're just going in one game at a time. We'll look at our preparation we have done for the last 10 days in preparation for Holland on Saturday and Monday. Yeah, it's quite exciting to look at all the teams that we're playing, but actually we focused on just tomorrow's game," said Fulton.
News18
22-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Hockey India Names 24-Man Squad For European Leg Of FIH Pro League
Last Updated: India are placed third in the standings after having picked up 15 points with five wins in eight outings during the Indian leg of the event. Hockey India named its 24-member men's squad for the European leg of FIH Hockey Pro League to be played in Amstelveen in The Netherlands and Antwerp in Belgium, from the 7th of June. India are slated to take on The Netherlands in a double-header at the Wagner Stadium in Amstelveen on the 7th and 9th of June, before playing Argentina on the 11th and 12th of the month at the same venue, before travelling to Antwerp to take on Australia on the 14th and 15th of June before closing out the engagements with a double header against the hosts Belgium on the 21st and 22nd. Get ready for top-tier action and electric moments on the turf! 🏑 #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame... @CMO_Odisha @IndiaSports @sports_odisha @Media_SAI — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) May 22, 2025 India are placed third in the standings after having picked up 15 points with five wins in eight outings during the Indian leg of the event. Team India head coach Craig Fulton said, 'We wanted a bit more experience in the squad this time around and I am really happy with the selection." 'The team has been training well as we're looking to try and push as hard as possible and win the Pro League," he added. 'Since there's qualification for the World Cup on the line, we want to try and get as many points to put ourselves in a good position for that," Fulton continued. 'We haven't drawn any games so far in the tournament and I believe we need to turn our losses into draws and then go for a shootout, so if we don't really get the desired results, we can still get points on the board," the coach added. 'We also need to improve our penalty corner conversion rate so yes, we've got some good objectives to try and achieve this time around," he stated. Team India: Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak,Suraj Karkera. Defenders: Sumit, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay and Yashdeep Siwach Midfielders: Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Rajinder Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh Forwards: Gurjant Singh, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh. First Published: May 22, 2025, 15:45 IST
