The International Hockey Federation announced on Thursday that the FIH Hockey Pro League season will resume on September 22 with Germany hosting Belgium’s men and women teams in a clash of two European powerhouses.
Indian men’s team, however, will have to wait till next year to restart their campaign when they travel to Argentina for two games on April 10 and 11.
On April 24, FIH had announced that the current 2020 Pro League, which was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March, has been extended by an year to June 2021.
“All hockey fans have been eagerly waiting for the day where the world’s best teams would play again,” FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra was quoted as saying by FIH in a release.
“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,” he added.
Around one third of the planned matches were completed between January and early March, with Belgium and Argentina currently leading the men’s and women’s standings respectively. The Indian men’s team is currently fourth in the standings with 10 points from six matches.
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