The FIH Men’s Pro League 2024-25 European Leg is set to take place from June 7 to 22, 2025 in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, and Antwerp, Belgium.
India will begin their campaign with back-to-back matches against the Netherlands on the June 7 and 9, followed by a double-header against Argentina on June 11 and 12 — all four fixtures to be held at the iconic Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.
The team will then travel to Antwerp for the second leg, where they will face Australia on June 14 and 15, before concluding their campaign with two high-stakes encounters against hosts Belgium on June 21 and 22.
Head coach Craig Fulton and skipper, Harmanpreet Singh addressed the media ahead of their game against the Netherlands. Excerpts:
Q: Finishing first in the FIH Pro League — it hasn’t happened before. With direct qualification for the World Cup at stake, is that the biggest motivation?
Craig Fulton: Securing a World Cup spot is definitely one of our priorities, and finishing on top in the Pro League is one of the ways to achieve that. If that doesn’t work out, we also have the Asian Cup coming up in India. But yes, we want to finish as high as possible in the Pro League.
Q: There’s been a lot of talk around penalty corner conversion. What’s being done to improve that?
CF: We’re working hard to improve our PC conversion. In Bhubaneswar, we actually scored a lot of field goals, which was encouraging. The focus is to continue building that momentum and become more consistent across both PCs and field goals.
Q: There’s been a new training routine, including 400m runs and more endurance work. How have the players responded?
CF: With six games in nine days and travel in between, it’s a hectic phase. So the training was designed to make sure we’re physically prepared for that. I think the players understood the need for it and have responded well.
Q: You’re playing four top teams in this phase. What are your realistic expectations?
CF: We’re currently sitting third and will be up against some strong opponents. We’ve made specific plans for each team, and we’re taking it one game at a time. We have a 24-member squad and the goal is to keep everyone fresh and ready to perform through this stretch.
Q: Any fitness concerns?
CF: No, the full squad is available now. Some players joined late, but we’ve had six solid training days in Ireland. Today we had a full session with everyone, and the entire group is fit and healthy.
Q: The squad is largely unchanged. What was the thinking behind that?
CF: It’s about experience. We’re facing top-tier teams, and we need a side that knows how to handle high-pressure situations. The experienced players bring that composure and game sense.
Q: Rajinder Singh’s inclusion — your thoughts?
CF: Rajinder has progressed really well over the last six months — starting from the domestic league, then in the HIL, and now in the Pro League in Bhubaneswar. He’s adapting and performing well at this level.
Q: Selvam Karthi and other youngsters — are they in your plans?
CF: The U-21 group is definitely in our plans, but they have their own age-group programmes. The fact that they’re often away in patches makes consistent inclusion tricky. But it’s up to them to keep pushing through the ranks. We do have some exciting young players already in the mix.
Q: With the Asian Games, and the World Cup, all in 2026, a busy calendar ahead, how are you planning workload management?
CF: The development plan with India A is still very much active. Yes, the calendar is packed with the World Cup and Asian Games close together. But we’re building depth and the SNC team is doing a great job preparing the players. It’s all part of a long-term plan to handle these challenges effectively.
Q: After Bengaluru and the Ireland camp, which areas have you focused on before the upcoming matches?
Harmanpreet Singh: Bengaluru gave us a solid base, and the Ireland camp was very productive. The weather there was quite similar to what we’ll face during matches, so that helped. Training’s been good and we’re hopeful of executing well on the pitch.
Q: How would you sum up the Ireland camp?
CF: The three matches we played were useful. We focused a lot on man-to-man sessions because the teams we’ll be playing have similar styles. We lost the first match but came back to win the next two. We did have some visa issues, so only 19 players were available, but overall it was a productive stint.
Q: On other drag flickers like Jugraj — your thoughts?
HS: The more drag flickers we have, the better it is for the team. Jugraj has been doing well, and we also have Amit (Rohidas) and Neelam (Xess). Hopefully, all of them can deliver when called upon.
Q: How confident are you feeling ahead of this leg?
HS: We’ve had good preparation, and there’s confidence in the group. We’re focused on playing as a unit and taking each game as it comes.
Q: The team played a few rugby games in Ireland. What was the idea behind that?
CF: It was a way to engage with the local culture and also add a physical element to training. Rugby helps the players experience a different kind of physicality, and though it doesn’t directly impact hockey skills or goal conversion, it’s a fun and effective way to build team bonding and fitness.
Q: How confident are you in your penalty corner conversions? And are you missing Sreejesh’s presence in the team?
HS: I’m quite confident in my penalty corner conversions, and as I’ve said before, we have a few other drag flickers in the squad as well. The more options we have, the better it is for the team — and they’ve all been doing well. I hope everyone can step up and convert when the opportunities come.
As for Sree bhai (PR Sreejesh), we definitely miss his presence and the wealth of experience he brings. But the goalkeepers we have now — Pathak (Kishan Bahadur) and Suraj (Karkera) — are performing extremely well, and we have full faith in both of them.