India’s males’s and girls’s groups kicked off their respective FIH Hockey Professional League campaigns with combined outcomes on the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
The Indian girls’s aspect snuck a victory within the closing minute of their match towards England whereas the boys went all the way down to Spain. Within the different match of the day Spain’s girls stored their cool to beat Germany.
(Ladies’s) Germany 1 – 2 Spain
Each Germany and Spain have been in search of their first wins of this 12 months’s competitors and it was the Spanish who coped higher within the scorching warmth, clinching a 2-1 win. All of the objectives got here from first-time worldwide scorers.
Spain seemed harmful as they dominated a goalless first half, Patricia Alvarez displaying spectacular kind and giving the Germans a tough time all through.
Estel Petchame then opened the scoring for Spain within the 35th minute with a fortuitous misdirected cross which discovered the again of the online. Area opened up in the direction of the top of the third quarter and each goalkeepers made some glorious saves to maintain issues within the steadiness. It was then Sophia Schwabe who equalised for Germany within the 44th minute, scrambling effectively off her personal rebound from open play.
Spain’s larger vitality gave them a definite benefit within the closing quarter and their successful aim got here within the 59th minute, Berta Agulló working in exhausting behind the German defence for a diving reverse-stick deflection.
The participant of the match was awarded to Berta Agulló who stated: “On this Professional League each level counts, so we preserve believing in our play and in our sport.”
(Ladies’s) India 3 – 2 England
Hosts India opened their match with an enthralling 3-2 win over England. The searing temperature had dropped barely for the night video games, and it confirmed, with high-speed play from each groups.
The primary half was evenly contested, though India seemed stuffed with tempo and aptitude on the ball. Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke gave India an early lead from a recycled penalty nook, however Darcy Bourne equalised with a tap-in on the again put up within the 12th minute. Deepika then celebrated her 50th cap with a 25th-minute drag flick aim to present India a 2-1 lead at half time.
Play ebbed and flowed via the second half earlier than England stepped up the strain within the closing interval. Savita was stored busy within the Indian aim and Fiona Crackles’ 58th-minute equaliser seemed to have despatched the match to a shootout. Navneet Kuar had different concepts although, and her blistering 59th-minute shot from the highest of the circle secured the last-gasp win, a lot to the delight of the dancing Indian followers.
India’s Sunelita Toppo was named the participant of the match.
(Males’s) India 1 – 3 Spain
Spain got here from behind to beat hosts India 3-1, avenging their bronze medal loss ultimately 12 months’s Paris Olympics.
Neither group was capable of assert full dominance all through the match. Spain appeared to have the ascendancy within the first half, however they have been surprised by Sukhjeet Singh’s 25th-minute reverse strike that fired the house aspect forward. The Indians then loved a collection of penalty corners and half-chances earlier than Borja Lacalle equalised for Spain with a 28th-minute tap-in.
Spain earned a flurry of penalty corners within the third quarter however executed them poorly. They ultimately obtained their reward although, when Ignacio Cobos scored his first worldwide aim from a recycled penalty nook within the 38th minute. An distinctive reflex save from Luis Calzado stored Spain’s nostril forward going into the ultimate interval.
The Crimson Sticks labored exhausting to manage the tempo of the fourth quarter whereas India displayed their improbable attacking capability. The match was within the steadiness till the 56th minute when Bruno Avila struck the killer blow with a low drag flick, giving Spain an important two-goal cushion. India pulled their goalkeeper off to chase a end result, however they couldn’t discover a means again into the match.
Spain’s Gerard Clapes was named the participant of the match and stated: “It’s vital for the factors. We’ve performed effectively, good sensations, good emotions, so good.”
Present Hero Prime Scorers:
Ladies – Freeke Moes (NED), Yibbi Jansen (NED), Jinzhuang Tan (CHN) (4 objectives)
Males – Tom Boon (BEL), Sam Ward (ENG) (8 objectives)
To see the present standings within the FIH Hockey Professional League, click on right here.
FIH Hockey Professional League – 15 February 2025
Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India (IND)
Ladies
Outcome: Match 19 (W)
Germany 1 – 2 Spain
Participant of the match: Berta Agulló (ESP)
Umpires: Bevan Nichol (NZL), Tamara Leonard (AUS), Ahmed Elsayed (EGY-video)
Outcome: Match 20 (W)
India 3 – 2 England
Participant of the match: Sunelita Toppo (IND)
Umpires: Rawi Anbananthan (MAS), Wanri Venter (RSA), Junko Wagatsuma (JPN-video)
Males
Outcome: Match 19 (M)
India 1 – 3 Spain
Participant of the match: Gerard Clapes (ESP)
Umpires: Timothy Sheahan (AUS), Annelize Rostron (RSA), Bevan Nichol (NZL-video)
