The ladies of India and Spain take the place of Australia and New Zealand in the third season of the FIH Pro League.
The unions of both countries from Oceania withdrew the women’s and men’s teams due to the travel restrictions and restrictions in place there due to the corona pandemic. Spain and India are already participating in the men’s competition.
“On behalf of the FIH, I would like to sincerely thank Hockey India and the Royal Spanish Hockey Federation for accepting our invitation,” said Thierry Weil, CEO of FIH. “It is fantastic to welcome such great teams to the next edition of the FIH Pro League. Especially after their brilliant performance in Tokyo.’
The ladies of India and Spain performed very well at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last summer. The Spanish ladies were eliminated in the quarterfinals after shoot-outs, India came in fourth place under the leadership of national coach Sjoerd Marijne, who has since left.
Both teams will replace Australia and New Zealand for this season only. Australia and New Zealand will rejoin in the fourth season of the Pro League. Where possible, the women’s teams from India and Spain will play on the same dates and locations as their male counterparts.
‘Great platform’
Gyanendro Ningombam, President of Hockey India, welcomes the participation of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team. “Their participation will not only give the chance to compete against the best teams in the world, but it will also help us increase the fan base for the Indian women’s team. In addition, this great platform is the ideal preparation for the Asian Games.’ These will be held in 2022, which is also an Olympic qualifying tournament.
The president of the Royal Spanish Hockey Federation, Santiago Déo, is also happy that the Spanish hockey ladies are joining for the third season of the Pro League. “This will make us better in preparation for the World Cup in Spain and the Netherlands in 2022.”
