NEW DELHI:
Thierry Brinkman
, the captain of the world's top-ranked Netherlands men's hockey team, expressed eagerness and confidence ahead of facing India and
Australia
in the upcoming
FIH Hockey Pro League
.
The Dutch team arrived in India for the Pro League scheduled at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar from February 10 to 16 and the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela from February 19 to 25.
Brinkman emphasized the team's excellent preparation and team spirit, stating, "We love to be in India, and there is a good team spirit among all of us. We are excited for the campaign to begin."
As part of the Pro League, five national teams – Ireland, The Netherlands, India, Spain, and Australia – will compete against each other in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
Brinkman acknowledged the challenge posed by Australia and the formidable task of facing India in front of their home crowd, emphasizing that these encounters will be crucial as they prepare for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
"With the Paris Olympics 2024 coming up, this is an important tour for us to test ourselves against strong teams. We hope to have a good tournament," Brinkman added.
The Netherlands will kick off their Pro League campaign against Ireland on February 10, followed by a highly-anticipated clash against host nation India on February 11.
Subsequent matches include encounters against Spain on February 13 and Australia on February 16, with Rourkela hosting the latter part of the tournament.
(With inputs from PTI)
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