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What's the story?
The Indian men's hockey team is all set to take on reigning Olympic silver medalists Belgium in the quarterfinals of the FIH Hockey World League Final 2017 being held in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.
The clash, slated for Wednesday, will be a rematch of the quarterfinal in Rio, where the Belgians ran out 3-1 winners.
In case you didn't know
The Hockey World League Final features eight teams in two groups of four face off against each other to determine the winner of the year-long Hockey World League.
Pool A features Belgium, Spain, Netherlands and Argentina while Pool B has the likes of India, Germany, England and Australia.
The heart of the matter
After three games, the Indian side finished bottom of their group as they failed to register even a single win. Their first clash saw them produce a spirited performance against the Australians, who were held to a 1-1 draw.
However, two straight losses were in the offing in the next two games as England and Germany defeated the Men in Blue. The English side raced into a 2-0 lead in their match, before the Indians equalized to make 2-2 in the fourth quarter. However, Sam Ward struck for England with minutes left to play as his side ran out 3-2 winners.
In their final game, Germany recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over the Indians, which ensured them of top spot in the group and also meant that India would face the first-placed side from Pool A.
Thus, it is Belgium who India are set to face, as they won their first two games with comfort -- a 3-2 win over Argentina and a 5-0 blanking of Spain. They continued their dominant run in their last game as well, blanking the Netherlands 3-0.
What's next?
The quarterfinals are slated to be played on Wednesday and Thursday, with the India-Belgium clash scheduled for Wednesday at 7.30 PM.
Author's take
It will be a difficult encounter for the Indian side and they will have to be at their very best if they are to overcome the Belgians.
