BHUBANESWAR: The 35th FIH Men’s Champions Trophy got into competitive mode with last edition’s runners-up Netherlands edging out hosts India 1-0 in the first practice match at Kalinga Stadium Hockey Complex, the latest international venue in India, on Monday.
Van der Weerden Mink scored the all-important goal, converting one of the two penalty corners they earned in the fourth quarter of the keenly-contested match. But the scoreline was not the true indicator of the potentials of the two sides, who used this game to test strategies and combinations.
Team India’s stand-in head coach Roelant Oltmans put his defence department to stern test and the defenders didn’t disappoint them.
Local boy Birendra Lakra and fellow fullback Rupinder Singh were left to withstand a barrage of Dutch onslaughts and the duo did a commendable job. Drag-flicker VR Raghunath played as a midfielder with captain Sardar Singh and the forwards mostly uninvolved.
If this is the plan, Oltmans will be testing his midfield and forward line in the following practice games before finalising the core team.
With High Hopes, From Belgium
Known for giving fancied teams a good run for their money, Belgium is ready to spin a few upsets. With their stunning performances in the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 World Cup, they are likely to draw maximum attention after hosts India.
Led by the experienced John-John Dohmen, who has 273 international caps, they have a clinical striker in Tom Boon, who was bought by HIL franchisee Dabang Mumbai for $103,000.
“Our aim is to win every match and the most important thing is to keep improving. It will be a big test as the best teams of the world are participating,” said head coach Jeroen Delmee.
“No team can take other teams for granted as all are training hard. I am happy as to where we stand as a team and this tournament will be our biggest test after the World Cup,” he added.
Dohmen assessed his team’s strengths and weakness, “A couple of new players are inducted in the team and this is a good platform for them to showcase their talents.”
Belgium will finalise the composition after the practice game against Germany. “We’re practising set-pieces initially to simply better them. We’re also focusing on coordination. The practice match with Germany will help us understand our position,” said Boon.