Rourkela, 20th February 2024: On the eve of India taking on the powerhouse Netherlands, Indian team’s vice-captain and livewire Hardik Singh oozes confidence of good show, saying ‘The confidence level in the team is very high’.

India are set to face the Netherlands in their next fixture in the reverse leg of the Pro League at the renowned Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Wednesday. The Indian Men’s Hockey Team has emerged victorious against the Netherlands in their last two encounters. Their latest triumph occurred on February 11th during the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24. In that match, despite trailing 1-2, the Indian team staged a comeback, levelling the score and ultimately securing a 4-2 victory in the shootout.

Hardik Singh, going strong

Reflecting on the team’s performance against the Netherlands, Indian Men’s Hockey Team Midfielder, Hardik Singh, said, “Our performance in the first half fell short of expectations, but we made a strong comeback in the second half, pushing the game to a shootout. We were confident about our chances from that point onwards, especially given that we have really good goalkeepers in our ranks.”

“The confidence in the camp is quite high with the way we have been performing in back-to-back events and I am sure we will carry this momentum forward in the tournament,” he concluded.

The Indian Men’s Hockey Team is showcasing an impressive performance at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24, securing victories in two out of their five games within regulation time. They displayed their resilience with shootout triumphs against formidable opponents, the Netherlands 2-2 (4-2 SO) and Spain 2-2 (8-7 SO), earning valuable bonus points. Their solitary defeat came at the hands of Australia.

India kicked off their campaign in Bhubaneswar with a convincing 4-1 victory over Spain, followed by a thrilling 2-2 (4-2) shootout win against the Netherlands, the top-ranked team in the world, where Hardik Singh secured the opening goal. Subsequently, India faced a setback with a 4-6 loss to Australia but bounced back with a 1-0 triumph over Ireland to conclude the Bhubaneswar leg on a high.

Moving to the Rourkela leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24, India maintained the momentum by securing a 2-2 (8-7) shootout win against Spain in a closely contested match.

India will take on the Netherlands on the 21st February at 1930hrs IST.

All matches of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 will be streamed on JioCinema, additionally, all India matches will be telecast on Sports18 – Khel.