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Indian men's and women's hockey teams are gearing up ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG), which is scheduled to take place from July 28-August 8, 2022.
The Indian men's and women's senior hockey teams departed for Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday (June 8) ahead of the upcoming 2021/22 FIH Pro League 2021/22 away matches.
The European leg of the FIH Pro League matches will be conducted in Belgium and the Netherlands from June 11-22, 2022.
Indian contingents chief coaches for the men's and women's teams Graham Reid and Janneke Schopman spoke about their respective teams' preparations for the challenges ahead.
Both the hockey teams have been in terrific form throughout 2022, producing consistent output. Amit Rohidas-led men's hockey team are currently placed second in the FIH Men's Hockey Pro League points table behind the Netherlands.
Speaking about the same, Indian Men's Team Chief Coach Graham Reid. said:
"With a little less than two months for the CWG, we will utilize this time to ensure we are best prepared for the prestigious event. The Pro League matches will give us insights into the areas that require improvement ahead of the CWG. We will reconvene the national camp for CWG in the last week of June and we will have a good three weeks to prepare before the contingent leaves for Birmingham."
He further added:
"There is an air of optimism among the players and doing well in Belgium and Netherlands will give us the right momentum ahead of the Commonwealth Games in July. With the Asia Cup team doing well too, our depth of players has only increased, making the team selection process for major tournaments all the more tough and interesting."
Meanwhile, the women's hockey team has all the crucial hockey tournaments lined up in the next two months. Commenccing with the 2021/22 FIH Pro League European leg matches from June 11-22, 2022, followed by the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup starting from July 1-17, 2022, ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Shedding light on the team's preparations, Indian Women's Team Chief Coach Janneke Schopman said:
"The next few weeks are definitely going to be challenging and exciting as we play regular matches in June and July leading up to the CWG. Back-to-back Pro League matches will definitely give us the understanding of how the players' bodies are reacting to recovery and being ready for a game within 24 hours."
She further added:
"Doing well at both, the Pro League and the World Cup is our immediate priority. The team in 2018 CWG, finished fourth so definitely a podium finish is on the minds of the players."
Commonwealth Games 2022: Indian Men's and Women's Hockey team schedule
The Indian men's hockey team has been drawn alongside England, Canada, Ghana and Wales in Pool B. The Indian men's team will begin their campaign on July 31st against Ghana at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG).
Men's Hockey Team 2022 CWG fixtures:
Match 1: India vs Ghana
Date: July 31, 2022 Timings: 8:30 pm IST
Match 2: England vs India
Date: August 1, 2022 Timings: 8:30 pm IST
Match 3: Canada vs India
Date: August 3, 2022 Timings: 6:30 pm IST
Match 3: India vs Wales
Date: August 4, 2022 Timings: 6:30 pm IST
Women's Hockey Team 2022 CWG fixtures:
The Indian women's hockey team is grouped alongside England, Canada, Ghana and Wales in Pool A. The Indian women's team will begin their campaign on July 29th against Ghana at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG).
Match 1: India vs Ghana
Date: July 29, 2022 Timings: 6:30 pm IST
Match 2: India vs Wales
Date: August 30, 2022 Timings: 11:30 pm IST
Match 3: India vs England
Date: August 2, 2022 Timings: 6:30 pm IST
Match 4: Canada vs India
Date: August 3, 2022 Timings: 3:30 pm IST
Match 4: India vs Wales
Date: August 4, 2022 Timings: 6:30 pm IST
The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals for both the men's and women's hockey teams will solely depend upon the performances in the pool stage matches.
Also read: FIH Pro League 2021/22: Indian men's and women's hockey team schedule, streaming details
