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Focus on Pro League with eye on future
The New Indian Express Kochi
|February 15, 2025
Women's hockey team will be seeking improved show while youngsters from men's side will be looking to step up
ODISHA may have signed off on a fairly successful revamped Hockey India League but the season is just beginning for both senior national teams.
The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, no stranger to the sport, will host a round of Pro league games starting on Saturday, with both sides in action (the women's side will kick-start proceedings with a match vs England with the men facing Spain later in the evening).
Even if there are no global hockey events this year, it starts a fairly important season for both sides leading into next year's World Cup as well as the Asian Games.
With the Pro League itself doubling up as a qualifier for the quadrennial bash in 2026, both sides have made it their stated aim to rubber-stamp their place there (Netherlands and Belgium are co-hosting the event) at the first time of asking.
Actually doing it is the hard bit, especially the women's side, whose opponents—the likes of Germany, Netherlands, Spain among others—are a cut above.
This story is from the February 15, 2025 edition of The New Indian Express Kochi.
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