Indian hockey team gearing up for German challenge in FIH Pro League

The Indian hockey team will take on Germany next week in a two-legged tie in the FIH Pro League at the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Men in Blue won and lost one match each against Spain in their two-legged tie last month. The Indian hockey team is currently placed in second position, just four points behind the Netherlands. Team India have won four matches from six outings so far in the FIH Pro League.

When the Manpreet-led India take on Germany, they will look to overcome all the errors that led to a 3-5 defeat at the hands of Spain on February 27. The German hockey team is currently placed in third position in the FIH Pro League, behind India with identical wins and losses.

India defeated Germany 5-4 to clinch a historic bronze medal after 41 years at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when the two teams last faced off.

Speaking about the defeat against Spain and the upcoming clashes against Germany, forward Shamsher Singh said:

"We had prepared well for the matches, our speed was good, we also made comebacks, but I reckon we conceded easy goals and we missed out on converting our chances. Tactically speaking, I believe we did better as compared to the first match. The shots that we took were quite good, but as I said we should have availed our chances."

He further added that the team needs to work on its execution skills.

"I don't think that we were lacking in terms of preparation, but I think we need to improve on our execution skills," he said. "And, I believe we will surely learn from our mistakes and utilise the lessons in the upcoming matches."

Midfielder Hardik also spoke about the team's preparations ahead of its next match.

"We are focusing more on ourselves rather than the opponents, and identifying on what all things we need to improve," he said. "Germany is a strong and experienced team. So, the preparation remains the same as it is for other teams. We will give our 100% with the full energy, and looking forward to executing our plans."

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FIH Pro League: Schedule & Match Timings

Match: India vs Germany

Date: March 12, 2022 Timings: 7:30 pm IST

Match: India vs Germany

Date: March 13, 2022 Timings: 7:30 pm IST

Streaming details:

All FIH Pro League 2022 matches are being telecast live on Star Sports Select 2 and Star Sports Select 2 HD channels. Matches are also available for live streaming on the Hotstar app.