The Indian men's hockey team suffered another setback in the FIH Pro League, succumbing to a 6-3 defeat against Belgium on Saturday, June 21, 2025. This loss marks their seventh consecutive defeat in the European leg of the competition, extending their losing streak and raising concerns about their performance heading into crucial international tournaments. The match, held at the Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein in Antwerp, saw a high-scoring affair where India displayed glimpses of a fightback but ultimately fell short against a dominant Belgian side.
Belgium started strongly, putting India under pressure from the opening whistle. Arthur Van Doren's early goal within the first minute set the tone for the match, capitalizing on a rebound after India conceded a penalty corner. Alexander Hendrickx further extended Belgium's lead in the 28th minute, leaving India trailing 2-0 at halftime.
However, India showed resilience in the third quarter. Dilpreet Singh scored in the 36th minute, followed by Mandeep Singh in the 38th minute, leveling the score and injecting hope into the Indian camp. Despite this resurgence, Belgium responded fiercely in the final quarter. Roman Duvekot, Thibeau Stockbroekx, and Tom Boon found the net, pushing Belgium ahead. Amit Rohidas scored a late goal for India in the 56th minute, but Arthur Van Doren's second goal sealed the victory for Belgium.
India's inability to maintain consistency throughout the match and their tendency to concede late goals have been recurring issues during this European leg. While the team has shown moments of brilliance, defensive lapses and tactical miscalculations have proven costly. The team's inability to convert penalty corners consistently has also hurt their chances in crucial moments.
With this defeat, India now sits in eighth position in the FIH Pro League standings with 15 points from 15 matches. Their hopes of securing a direct ticket to the next year's World Cup have been dashed. The team will play Belgium again on Sunday, hoping to end their European leg on a positive note and salvage some pride. However, the series of losses have raised serious questions about the team's preparedness as they look towards the World Cup in August, which will be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium.
The Indian team needs to address their defensive vulnerabilities, improve penalty corner conversions, and maintain composure in crucial match phases. The team will need to regroup and address these issues to ensure a better performance in future tournaments.
Adding to the woes, the Indian women's hockey team also faced a defeat against Belgium, losing 5-1. This marked their fifth consecutive loss in the FIH Pro League 2024-25.
