New Delhi, July 9 The Indian men's hockey team's FIH Pro League campaign is scheduled to restart on April 10 and 11, 2021 with a tie against Argentina away from home as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Thursday announced a new schedule for the men's and women's Pro League.
India will then play Great Britain away from home on May 8 and 9 before travelling to Spain where they play on May 12 and 13. They then face Germany away on May 18 and 19 and will finally play a home tie on May 29 and 30 against New Zealand.
The original schedule saw India's Pro league campaign ending on June 14 after their tie in Spain. Before the suspension of the tournament on March 19, India were scheduled to face Germany in Berlin on April 25 and April 26 before taking on Great Britain in London on May 2 and May 3. They were then scheduled to host New Zealand on May 23 and May 24 before travelling to Tucuman, Argentina, for matches on June 5 and 6.
The first match of the revamped Pro League in both the men's and women's division will see Germany hosting Belgium on September 22 and 23.
"The calendar has been established in cooperation and agreement between the 11 participating National Associations (NAs) taking part in the second edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League and the FIH," said the FIH in its statement.
"In such a challenging period and with a very busy hockey calendar in 2021 due to the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games, Continental Championships and domestic league competitions, finalising the schedule was made possible thanks to all parties showing solidarity and a willingness to compromise to complete the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League season."
"All hockey fans have been eagerly waiting for the day where the world's best teams would play again," said FIH President Narinder Batra. "Whilst the pandemic is not over and staying healthy while playing hockey is an absolute priority, it's a sign of hope that the resumption of the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League is looming. I wish all teams well and invite all fans to enjoy 'Hockey at its Best' in the months ahead!"
( With inputs from IANS )