The Indian men’s hockey team are back in action for the first time this year as they face Belgium in their FIH Pro League opening match of the season at Rourkela’s Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.
Harmanpreet Singh and co. will play Belgium and Argentina twice this week in Rourkela before heading to Hobart next week to face the home team Australia and Spain.
After finishing eighth in the previous edition, India will aim to begin the new campaign on a strong note and build early winning momentum in front of the home crowd. This season’s Pro League matches also hold extra importance because the team needs them in preparation for two big tournaments in World Cup and the Asian Games.
Belgium have already played their first match in this leg, beating Argentina 5-3 on Tuesday. So far, Belgium have played five matches in the season and have not tasted loss even once. They won four games while drawing once.
India face Belgium on February 11 followed by a clash against Argentina on February 12. The hosts will once again face Belgium on February 14 before concluding the leg against Argentina on February 15, with all matches scheduled to start at 7:30 PM IST.
Speaking ahead of their opening match, captain Harmanpreet Singh said, “I am very happy to see youngsters like Amandeep Lakra, Manmeet Singh and Rosan Kujur earning their opportunities in the squad. They have performed exceptionally well in the recent Hero Hockey India League and have shown great potential. This is the right time for them to step up at the international level, and I am confident they will make the most of this opportunity.”
You can follow the match on our live blog below.
All India matches of FIH Men’s Pro League 2025-26 Rourkela leg will be broadcast on Star Sports Khel and JioHotstar, while other matches will be streamed live on Jio Hotstar.
