Belgium has grown leaps and bounds in the current decade, improving its Rankings outside 10 to present 3. Most India’s victories over Belgium has come before 2010.
The last 20 encounters give where the teams stand in the contemporry scene.
MOST RECENT:
Both teams played in the Breda Champions Trophy where Harmanpreet’s 10th minute goal was neutralized in the dying seconds by Loick Luypaert. That was the lone goal for Belgium that has got 12 penalty corners that day in Breda, compared to India’s six.
THIS YEAR
Met FIVE times; Four times in New Zealand 4-Nations, once in Breda Champions trophy.
At Tauranga in New Zealand, Belgium beat India 0-2 in the leage and then in the final again beat 1-2.
Three days later, when another 4-Nation was held in Hamilton in the same country, India beat Belgium 5-4 in the league and then drew 4-4 in the final, where it lost the shoot out. PR Srejeesh has just returned to international hockey here after injury.
The fifth meet of the current meet was Breda, explained in the first para
LAST YEAR
Both met FIVE times in 2017 also.
In June in Dusseldorf 3-Nation, India lost 1-2 first before defeating 3-2 in the repeat match.
Two months later, India toured Europe where it played Belgium twice. It lost both the tests 0-1, 1-3.
The lat encounter of the year was at Bhubneswar where India drew Belgium 3-3 in the quarterfinal where again Loick Luypaert played havoc, converting two PCs. India won on shoot out. Harjot Singh was the Indian GK.
IN 2016
Met TWICE; both in crucial encounters one in Champions Trophy another in Olympics
India did not play against Belgium six months prior to London Champions Trophy. Here it beat India 2-1. Sixty days later, Belgium doused the Indian hopes at Rio in the Quarterfinal. India led 1-0 at HT, before the Belgium storm devasted it (1-3).
LAST 20 MATCHES SNAP SHOT
India won 4.
Draw 3
Belgium won 13