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The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIH Pro League: Indian men's team ends Pro League campaign with 4-3 win against Belgium
The Indian men's hockey team showed character as they snatched a 4-3 win against hosts Belgium to end an otherwise forgettable campaign at the FIH Hockey Pro League on a positive note on Sunday (June 22, 2025). It was goals by Sukhjeet Singh (21', 35'), Amit Rohidas (36') and Harmanpreet Singh (59') that ensured India's win, and ended their outing in the eighth place, 14 points ahead of Ireland. For Belgium, Arthur de Sloover (8'), Thibeau Stockbroekx (34') and Hugo Labouchere (41') scored. It was a memorable outing for Sukhjeet and Dilpreet Singh who completed their 100 international caps. Belgium were quick to get off the blocks, pressing high and looking to catch Indian defenders off guard. Their tactics paid off early with Arthur de Sloover scoring a stunning goal to go one up in the match. He fired it into the top right corner of the post, leaving no room for the Indian goalie to defend. The goal certainly dislodged India's momentum, who until then showed glimpses of attacking intent with quick bursts in their variation. The visitors' first real opportunity came in the 20th minute when they earned the first penalty corner of the match and with skipper Harmanpreet back on the pitch, confidence was high in the Indian set-up. It was a good injection from Hardik, but the powerful flick was well-blocked, leading to a brisk counterattack by the Belgians. But Pathak, at the other end, prevented a potential 2-0 lead with a fine save. Only a minute later, India converted a sensational penalty corner and this time it was a clever variation which saw Sukhjeet step up and deflect the ball inside the post with precision. He only had to angle Harmanpreet's flick, which comfortably beat the Belgian goalie. This was an important equaliser which saw India build on their attack. Nearing the end of the second quarter, Abhishek came close to scoring what would have been a stupendous goal but missed the target by inches. After the 10-minute half-time break, Belgium struck early through Thibeau Stockbroekx, who scored in the 34th minute. But India responded almost immediately with Sukhjeet pumping his second goal of the match. It was an assist from the midfield, to Abhishek just a little outside the top of the D. Though Abhishek missed holding on to the ball, Sukhjeet picked it up efficiently to smash it into the goalpost. A minute later, Rohidas put India ahead 3-2 when he scored from a PC in the 36th minute. There was plenty of drama in the game. Belgium earned a PC and made complete use of the opportunity. This time, it was Hugo Labouchere putting his name on the scoresheet with his maiden international goal. Seconds later, India found the back of the net after a bit of a scramble inside the D to hold on to the ball. It was eventually Shamsher Singh who put the ball inside the net after a couple of attempts.. However, an immediate video referral by Belgium saw the goal being disallowed. Going into the final quarter in this high-octane contest, India started with a PC. With minutes left for the final hooter, an important video referral by India saw them being awarded a penalty stroke. Though Sloover protested and eventually was handed a yellow card, there was a clear push from him, and Harmanpreet sealed the issue in his team's favour to end a run of seven successive losses in the European leg of the league. 'We made a good comeback today. We had the confidence in us in every game we played. There was a lot of room for improvement in how we played today; we narrowed down on the small errors we were making and rectified them have been lots of learnings from here and we will bounce back next edition,' said Sukhjeet, who was awarded the Player of the Match.
India Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- India Today
India end FIH Pro League campaign with a 4-3 thrilling win over Belgium
The Indian team ended their FIH Pro League campaign on a high by securing a thrilling 4-3 win over Belgium in Antwerp on Sunday, June 22. A last-minute penalty stroke from captain Harmanpreet Singh sealed the win after a brace from Sukhjeet Singh and a goal from Amit Rohidas set up a grand stand finish on Sunday. For Belgium, Arthur de Sloover (8'), Thibeau Stockbroekx (34') and Hugo Labouchere (41') scored but it wasn't enough as India got the win and ended the Pro League campaign in eighth spot. India came into the European leg in third, but a series close defeats meant that they tumbled down the points table and were hoping to secure a face-saving win in Antwerp. advertisementBelgium were off the blocks quickly in the contest, applying pressure on the Indian defence. Their tactics worked as De Sloover got them the early goal with a stunning effort to rattle the Indian side. India's first chance came in the 20th minute when Harmanpreet sent a powerful shot from a PC, but his effort was blocked. However, Krishan Pathak pulled off a fine save to prevent Belgium from making it 2-0 from a counter-attack. A minute after this, India got the equaliser through a PC as a variation saw Sukhjeet deflect the ball into the net. After the half-time break, it was Belgium who retook the lead through Stockbroekx but Sukhjeet levelled the scores in quick time. Rohidas then gave India the lead in the game for the first time as he converted a PC in the 36th minute. There was lot more of drama to come in the game as Labouchere scored to make the scores 3-3 with 19 minutes to play. advertisementIndia thought they took the lead again through Shamsher Singh, but an important referral from Belgium ensured that it was overruled. In the dying moments of the game, India used their referral to get a penalty stroke. Despite the protests from Belgium, Harmanpreet shut out the noise and got the winner. India will now turn their attention to the Asia Cup and secure their qualification for the World Cup next year. Must Watch
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Sukhjeet Singh shines, Harmanpreet Singh scores late as India end Pro League with a win to snap losing streak
Scoreline: India 4 (Sukhjeet Singh 21′, 35′, Amit Rohidas 36′, Harmanpreet Singh 59′) vs Belgium 3 (Arthur de Sloover 8′, Thibeau Stockbroekx 34′, Hugo Labouchere 41′) After cutting a frustrating figure on Saturday at half-time – losing his cool for a brief moment, uncharacteristically – Craig Fulton was more philosophical, speaking ahead of India's final match of the dismal European leg of the FIH Pro League. Seven defeats in seven matches, six of those by one-goal margins, some unfortunate missed opportunities along the way… did he feel India had been unlucky? 'I mean, life's not fair at the end of the day, and so on we go, you know?' What followed was a cracking match of hockey as India managed to end the losing streak in their last match of the season, beating a relatively inexperienced Belgium side 4-3 in Antwerp on Sunday. In a feisty, frantic and often fabulous to-and-fro encounter, Sukhjeet Singh scored twice and won the decisive (and somewhat controversial) penalty stroke, which Harmanpreet Singh converted in the 59th minute for a late winner. The Indians received a shot in the arm in terms of team news as Harmanpreet returned to lead the side – albeit in a limited role from the bench – after missing the last few matches due to a hand injury. Belgium were also experimenting with their squad with the likes of Alexander Hendrickx and Tom Boon not in the squad. But no Belgian side is easy to beat at this level, so India still had their task cut out. India started like they meant business. The first sign that Sukhjeet was going to have a major influence on the game came early when Amit Rohidas threw an aerial from the edge of the Indian circle all the way into the Belgium third, showing stunning range on the pass. Sukhjeet brought it down the right channel and put the ball across into the danger area. Dilpreet tried to convert from close range, but the Belgian defence held on. But Belgium would open the scoring soon. Arthur de Sloover drove with purpose into the Indian circle, exchanging 1-2s – first, intentionally with his teammate and then unintentionally with an Indian stick – and lifted the ball over Krishan Pathak's shoulders. It's becoming a somewhat worrying chink in the Indian goalkeeper's armour as he's not the tallest of goalkeepers, and he got beaten by a high ball not for the first time on this tour. It was still a fine finish, nevertheless. With Harmanpreet back on the pitch to take penalty corners, India hit back. This time it was a lovely little variation, as the captain went low on the turf instead of his all-out powerful flick, and Sukhjeet dived in with a deflection. It is the sort of goal Vandana Katariya scored frequently for the Indian women's team during her decorated career. With India piling on the pressure, Belgium nearly scored what would have been one of the goal-of-the-season contenders. From the left byline, a pressure-releasing aerial found Thibeau Stockbroekx down the right flank. He controlled the ball on the bounce and drove forward towards the Indian goal at speed and unleashed a powerful forehand shot that beat Pathak but hit the post. End of the first half, India missed a golden chance to take the lead. Abhishek did superbly to pick the pocket of Victor Wegnez at the edge of Belgium's circle, but missed the target from close range. Stockbroekx would punish India for that missed chance early in the third quarter as he completed a sweeping move from right to left, lifting from close range after Suraj Karkera made a save. To their credit, India hit back almost immediately, as Sukhjeet was alert to a loose ball after Abhishek was fouled at the edge of the circle and the Belgian defence briefly switched off. It was just a good old low forehand strike that beat the goalkeeper on his near post. Shortly after, Rohidas fired in a low hit from a PC to put India ahead. Hugo Labouchere brought things back from a PC for Belgium in what was a basketball-esque third quarter. And just when it looked like Manpreet Singh had scored a rare goal, the video referee deemed that the time had run out. With both teams pushing for a win in the final quarter, a lengthy video review after an Indian challenge rather surprisingly was deemed as a stroke for a push on Sukhjeet's back by De Sloover. But after not being pleased with some refereeing decisions earlier on the tour, Fulton wouldn't have minded seeing the rub of green go his side's way as Harmanpreet converted the stroke. Before heading off to Europe, Fulton said the team was looking at the eight-match European block as a chance to not just get used to conditions at the two venues for next year's World Cup, but also an early opportunity to get a qualification spot. But as the tour wound down, those hopes were dashed. 'We just need to be practical around where we are. This is where we are,' he said. 'We have an Asia Cup that we're looking forward to, and we need to win (for World Cup qualification). We're building towards that, and then, once we've done that, we look further to the World Cup and Asian Games. We've had what has happened and we need to use it, learn from it.' There wasn't much at stake on Sunday in terms of India's position on the table, but the tide eventually turned, and the Indian team had something to smile about as they return home with plenty to ponder. Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assistant Editor and is based in New Delhi. ... Read More
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First Post
15 hours ago
- Sport
- First Post
India break seven-match losing streak with thrilling 4-3 win over Belgium in FIH Pro League
India ended their FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 campaign on a high with a thrilling 4-3 win over Belgium. It was a special outing for Dilpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh who completed 100 International Caps. read more Indian Men's Hockey Team showed character as they snatched a heart-winning 4-3 win against hosts Belgium to end their campaign at the FIH Hockey Pro League (Men) 2024-25 here in Antwerp on Sunday. It was goals by Sukhjeet Singh (21', 35'), Amit Rohidas (36') and Harmanpreet Singh (59') that ensured India's win, and ended their outing in the eight place, 14 points ahead of Ireland. For Belgium, Arthur de Sloover (8'), Thibeau Stockbroekx (34') and Hugo Labouchere (41') scored. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was a memorable outing for Sukhjeet and Dilpreet Singh who completed their 100 international caps. Belgium was quick to get off the blocks, pressing high and looking to catch Indian defenders off guard. Their tactics paid off early with Arthur de Sloover scoring a stunning goal to go one up in the match. He fired it into the top right corner of the post, leaving no room for Indian goalie to defend. The goal certainly dislodged India's momentum, who until then showed glimpses of attacking intent with quick bursts in their variation. India's first real opportunity came in the 20th minute when they earned the first PC of the match and with Skipper Harmanpreet Singh back on the pitch today, confidence was high in the Indian set-up. A good injection from Hardik, but the powerful flick was well-blocked leading into a quickfire counter attack by the Belgians. But Pathak, at the other end, prevented a potential 2-0 lead with a fine save. Only a minute later, India converted a sensational PC and this time it was a clever variation which saw Sukhjeet step up and deflect the ball into the post with precision. He only had to angle Harmanpreet's flick which comfortably beat the Belgian goalie. This was an important equaliser which saw India build on their attack. Nearing the end of the second quarter, Abhishek came close to scoring what would have been a stupendous goal but missed the margin by inches. After the ten-minute half-time break, Belgium struck early through Thibeau Stockbroekx who scored in the 34th minute. But India responded almost immediately with Sukhjeet pumping his second goal of the match. It was an assist from the midfield, to Abhishek just a little outside the top of the D. Though Abhishek missed holding on to the ball, Sukhjeet picked it up efficiently to smash it into the goalpost. A minute later, Amit Rohidas put India ahead by 3-2 when he scored from a PC in the 36th minute. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There was plenty of drama coming up in the game, keeping the hockey buffs on the edge of their seats. Belgium earned a PC and made complete use of the opportunity. This time, it was Hugo Labouchere putting his name on the scoresheet, scoring his maiden international goal making it an evenly-fought contest between India and Belgium. Seconds later, India found the back of the net after a bit of a scramble inside the D to hold on to the ball. It was eventually Shamsher Singh who put the ball inside the net after a couple of attempts. However, an immediate video referral by Belgium saw the goal being disallowed. Going into the final quarter in this high-octane encounter, India started with a PC. But was narrowly missed as the score continued to read 3-3. The contest remained pulsating with India being relentless in their pursuit for that one elusive win in their otherwise disappointing outing in terms of results in the European leg of Pro League. With minutes left for the final hooter, an important video referral by India saw them being awarded a penalty stroke. Though Sloover protested, and eventually was handed the yellow card, there was a clear push from him and it was only a matter of Harmanpreet clearing the goal and putting India ahead by 4-3 and finally ending their campaign with a win. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We made a good comeback today. We had the confidence in us in every game we played. There was a lot of room for improvement in how we played today, narrowed down on the small errors we were making and rectified them today. There has been lots of learnings from here and we will bounce back next edition,' expressed Sukhjeet Singh, who was awarded the Player of the Match.
