Eindhoven [Netherlands], July 9 : The India A Men's Hockey Team kickstarted their tour of Europe with a dominant 6-1 victory over Ireland at the Hockey Club Oranje-Rood in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
India had a complete performance throughout the four quarters and hardly put a foot wrong. Uttam Singh opened the scoring for the men in blue and Amandeep Lakra later extended their lead. This was followed by an impressive brace by Aditya Lalage as he scored back-to-back goals. Forwards Selvam Karthi and Boby Singh Dhami also scored a goal each to feature on the scoresheet. Ireland could only manage to score a consolation goal as India ensured they were tight with their defending.
India will next face Ireland again on 9 July, 21:30 IST, as they will look for another positive result and build on their momentum in their tour of Europe. They will later play against France, England, Belgium and hosts, the Netherlands, over the course of the next two weeks.
The India A team will play two matches each against Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, as well as one match each against England and Belgium. These high-intensity games are expected to test the depth and readiness of India's talent pool as the national setup looks to build a strong pipeline for the senior team.
The tour of Europe, organised by Hockey India, will feature a total of eight matches against some of the top European sides and is aimed at providing valuable international exposure to a mix of emerging and experienced players.
The squad, which is a healthy mix of youth and experience, is led by Sanjay, who believes the tour of Europe is a fantastic idea for the team.
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