Spain's Hockey Teams Land in India for FIH Pro League Face-offs

Spain's Men's and Women's hockey teams have landed in India to compete in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25. Both squads are eager to improve their standings, with the Men's team captain Alvaro Iglesias and Women's team captain Lucia Jiminez expressing excitement about playing in India.

Spain's Men's and Women's hockey teams arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Monday, gearing up for the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 matches in India, according to Hockey India. The Men's team will face host India on February 15 and 16, followed by England on February 19. Meanwhile, the Women's team is set to take on Germany on February 15 and 16 before matching up against India on February 19.

Both teams are currently facing challenges in their respective standings and are eager to secure early victories in their Pro League campaign. The Men's team holds the sixth position with just one win and a draw in four games. Conversely, the Women's team is in eighth place, having yet to secure a win after four matches. Men's team captain Alvaro Iglesias expressed excitement about returning to India, acknowledging the need for improvement, "We are very excited to return to India. We were in Australia for four games, but we need to improve, so I am hoping to win more games here," Iglesias stated, as quoted in a release from Hockey India.

Women's team captain Lucia Jiminez echoed similar aspirations, emphasizing the significance of playing in Bhubaneswar, a city renowned for its hockey fanbase. "This is a really important city for hockey, and we are extremely excited to play in front of this crowd. This tournament is really important for us, and we want to be in the FIH Pro League next year, so we know it is crucial for us to win. We will try to play our best hockey to win every match," Jiminez said.

The England Women's Hockey Team, ranked seventh globally, also arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Sunday. They are set to face host India and the current world number one Netherlands during the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 India leg, scheduled from February 15-25 in Bhubaneswar. (ANI)