Great opportunity for youngsters to familiarise with play style: Harmanpreet

Captain Harmanpreet Singh wants the young Indian hockey players to get familiar with the playing styles of the best teams in the world during the FIH Pro League, and hoped the country would seal a direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a title-winning run in Bhubaneswar.

The Indian men's hockey team arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday to participate in the Pro League scheduled at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium from February 10 to 16 and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela from February 19 to 25.

India narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the previous season, finishing fourth behind the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Belgium.

"We have just come back from a successful tour in South Africa where we played against France, South Africa, and the Netherlands to begin the Pro League in the best shape possible," Harmanpreet said in a Hockey India (HI) release.

"A few young players have been included in the squad this time and this will be a great opportunity for them to familiarise themselves with the play style of some of the best teams in the world.”

Five national teams -- Ireland, the Netherlands, India, Spain and Australia – will participate in the India leg of the Pro League, facing each other once in Bhubaneswar and once in Rourkela.

"We are taking the Pro League very seriously as winning it would not only mean direct qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 but these games will also be crucial in the build-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics," Harmanpreet said.

India will take on Spain in their first match of the season on February 10, followed by a clash with the best-ranked team in the world, the Netherlands, on February 11.

After a brief break, the hosts will take on Australia on February 15, before they face Ireland in the last match of the Bhubaneswar leg on February 16.