FIH Pro League 2023-24: India men, women lose to Belgium in European leg

Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams lost to host nation Belgium in the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2023-24 season in Antwerp on Thursday.

Harmanpreet Singh-led men’s team, who defeated Argentina in a shootout on Wednesday, lost 1-4 to Olympic champion Belgium. For the Red Lions, Alexander Hendrickx had a brace while skipper Felix Denayer and Cedric Charlier also chipped in with a strike each. For the Men in Blue. Abhishek scored a consolation goal five minutes from the final hooter.

Indian men’s team will look to do better than its bronze medal from Tokyo 2020 when it competes in Paris Olympics this year

India is placed third with 17 points from 10 games while Belgium is seventh with six points in six games in the men’s standings. The two teams meet in the reverse fixture on Saturday.

India 1-4 Belgium Highlights, FIH Pro League: Men in Blue suffer defeat, Abhishek scores consolation goal

Earlier in the day, Salima Tete-led women’s team went down 0-2 to the host.

The women’s team, then led by goalkeeper Savita Punia, failed to qualify for Paris Olympics after finishing fourth in the qualifiers in Ranchi in January and a month later, head coach Janneke Schopman resigned from her post.

Harendra Singh is on his first assignment as the new head coach and this was a second straight loss for the women’s team after the 0-5 defeat against Argentina in its opening match.

In the women’s standings, India is sixth with eight points in 10 games while Belgium is seventh with six points in six games. Indian women also play the host in the reverse fixture on Saturday.