Bhubaneswar, February 17 (HS): After a mixed start to the FIH Pro League 2024-25 campaign, the Indian men’s hockey team led by captain Harmanpreet Singh is set to take on Germany in their upcoming matches at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium here. After losing 3-1 to Spain in their first match, the Indian team will take the field with an intention to continue their winning streak against the German team after coming back with a brilliant 2-0 win in the second match.
The Indian men’s hockey team will first play against Germany on February 18 and then on February 19. Currently, with three points from two matches, the Indian team is at the eighth position in the points table and will try to move ahead with a win in these matches.
One of the main areas of focus for the team is to improve the penalty corner conversion rate. Despite winning seven penalty corners in their two matches against Spain, the Indian team failed to convert any of these opportunities into goals. Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Sukhjeet Singh have scored a goal each for the Men in Blue so far in the tournament and they would look to add to their score against Germany.
Germany, who will play their first match of the India leg, are placed just above India in seventh place with four points from four matches. They have won only one match in the tournament so far. The two teams last clashed during the two-match Test series in New Delhi in October 2024, where Germany won the first match 2-0 but India bounced back with a thrilling 5-3 win in the second match. However, Germany clinched the series via a shootout win.
Talking about the upcoming matches, Indian team captain Harmanpreet Singh said that we are eagerly waiting for the matches against Germany. Germany is a great team and we know that we have to give our best on the field. He said that after the positive result against Spain, our confidence has increased, but we know there is still work to be done. Our main focus is to improve our penalty corner conversion, as it is important to make the most of those opportunities in tough matches.
The Indian captain said ,we have learned from both wins and losses, and we are determined to give our best on the field. We want to perform well for our fans.
The Indian men’s hockey team will face Germany on February 18 at 7:30 pm and February 19 at 5:15 pm.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
