India finishes the home leg of the FIH Men’s Pro league with an all-round performance
In a solid display on their home turf at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, the Indian men’s hockey team shut out Ireland with a convincing 4-0 win. It was during the FIH Pro League 2023-24 on a Sunday that Nilakanta Sharma, Akashdeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, and Jugraj Singh found the net. The victory drove India up to third place in the standings, with a total of 15 points from eight games.
Meanwhile, Ireland, new to the league and having faced a prior defeat to India, sat at the bottom without points from their eight matches. Despite being ranked lower, the 12th-placed Irish team kept the higher-ranked Indians (5th place) on their toes in the first two quarters. They seized a chance for an early lead with a penalty corner in the sixth minute but didn’t capitalize on it. Jeremy Duncan also missed a golden opportunity, failing to score from close range.
In the last moments of the second quarter, India quickly scored twice, making it 2-0 before the break. First, Nilakanta Sharma fired the ball into the net at the 14-minute mark, following a rebound off Harmanpreet Singh’s drag flick. Shortly afterward, Sanjay took a strong shot that Akashdeep Singh tipped in, with team captain Harmanpreet again playing a part in the setup. Despite falling behind, Ireland remained determined and kept pressing into India’s territory as play resumed.
But India proved to be sharper in scoring, outdoing Ireland’s efforts to catch up. Next, the Indian team looks to continue their performance in a May face-off in Belgium, where they will play Argentina and Belgium twice each in Antwerp. After wrapping up the home games for the season, India, under captain Harmanpreet Singh, is prepping for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
India’s performance in FIH Pro League 2023-24
They clocked three wins and just one loss in the cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The team is taking notes on both their strong points and areas they need to work on as they move forward. Harmanprejson, Jugraj, and Amit Rohidas were instrumental in helping the Indian team score goals from penalty corners. Moreover, Araijit Hundal provided additional support in scoring the penalty corners.
But matches against tough cookies like Ireland and Spain showed that India needs to pick up their game when it comes to scoring during the regular run of play. The midfielders – Hardik Singh, Sumit, Vivek, and Manpreet – were real game-changers, feeding chances to their teammates and keeping the game moving. Their role was crucial in connecting the defense and the frontmen, proving that it’s not just the goal scorers who count.
The Indian team now needs to take what they’ve learned from the home leg of the Pro League and use it to gear up for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their resilience and skill at penalty corners, along with their dynamic midfield, show they’re tough competitors. But to stand a chance in Paris, they’ll need to polish their game, especially when the ball is in open play, and in tightening up their defense. With the right work, they can aim to be a strong force in the field of international hockey.
Points Table
| Rank | Country | Played | Wins | Draws | Points |
| 1 | Netherlands | 12 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
| 2 | Australia | 8 | 6 | 1 | 20 |
| 3 | India | 8 | 3 | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | Argentina | 8 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
| 5 | Germany | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Spain | 8 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Great Britain | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Belgium | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Ireland | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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