New Delhi, June 25: The Indian Under-21 men’s hockey team is gearing up for a tour of Belgium, scheduled from July 7 to 17. During this period, the team will compete in six matches against Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. This tour is a crucial part of the team’s preparation under new coach Frederic Soyez for the Men’s Junior Asian Cup later this year.
The Indian squad will play two matches each against Austria and Belgium, while facing Germany and the Netherlands once. Five of these matches will take place at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium, with the final match against the Netherlands set to be held at the Hockey Center of Excellence in Antwerp.
The team will kick off their campaign on July 7 against Austria, followed by a rematch on July 8. They will then take on the host nation Belgium on July 10 and face Germany on July 13. The Indian team will once again meet Belgium on July 14, concluding the tour with a match against the Netherlands on July 17.
This tour presents a valuable opportunity for the young Indian team to compete against some of Europe’s strongest hockey nations. It will also allow them to gain international experience ahead of significant tournaments later in the year. The hope is that the Belgium tour will provide the junior team with essential insights into various playing styles and competitive conditions, preparing them for the Junior Asia Cup.
Before the tour, Soyez expressed his excitement, stating, “I am thrilled about my first tour with this group. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get to know the players better in a different environment and lay the foundation for our playing style. Such tours are always vital as they foster mutual understanding, strengthen team coordination, and help establish a true team identity.”
Regarding the importance of these matches, the coach emphasized, “These games are crucial as they place us in situations similar to those we will encounter in major tournaments. They will help us understand our current performance levels, our ability to implement our playing styles under pressure, and how we perform against strong opponents.”
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