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The Indian men's hockey team pulled off a 5-4 win against Belgium through a pulsating shootout in Antwerp, Belgium on Saturday. This game was part of the ongoing 2021-22 FIH Pro League
Both teams were locked at 3-3 at the end of regulation time. Initially, the Indians were trailing 1-3. However, the Men in Blue stepped up to recoup in the fourth quarter and level Belgium's score at 3-3, taking the game into a shootout.
Shamsher Singh (18') opened the scoring for India in the second quarter. However, Cedric Charlier (21'), Simon Gougnard (36'), and Nicolas de Kerpel (51') scored afterwards for Belgium, providing their team with a 3-1 lead.
With seven minutes to the final whistle, Harmanpreet (52') made no mistake in getting a goal to reduce the deficit to 2-3. A little later, Jarmanpreet Singh (57') scored an equilizer at a crucial time as the scoreboard read 3-3.
Then, 'The Wall' of Indian hockey - veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh - once again came to the team's rescue. An exceptional effort from Sreejesh earned India the extra point from the shootout.
Speaking after the match, Sreejesh said:
"It was a great collective effort from us, and we kept on fighting. They are the World Champions and Olympic Champions. We never took a single second easy in the match and that is how we stayed in the game. It was all about energy. Tomorrow too, we can't make a single error against a team like Belgium who have great support here in Antwerp."
FIH Pro League 2022: Indian men's hockey team's upcoming fixtures
Men's team upcoming fixtures:
Match 1: Belgium vs India
Date: June 11, 2022 Timings: 8:00pm IST (India 5-4 Belgium)
Match 2: Belgium vs India
Date: June 12, 2022 Timings: 8:00pm IST
Match 1: Netherlands vs India
Date: June 18, 2022 Timings: 8:00pm IST
Match 2: Netherlands vs India
Date: June 19, 2022 Timings: 8:00pm IST
Live Streaming details
All FIH Pro League 2022 matches will be telecast live on Star Sports Select 2 and Star Sports Select 2 HD channels. Matches will also be available for live streaming on the Hotstar app.
Also read: Mohammed Raheel shares his experience following an outstanding FIH Hockey 5s tournament
