Bengaluru
The India 'A' men’s hockey team has left for Eindhoven in the Netherlands to begin their Europe tour. The tour will run from July 8 to 20. Captain Sanjay and vice-captain Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh are leading the team. They will play eight matches across three cities in Europe. In Eindhoven, they will play two matches each against Ireland, France, and the Netherlands. After that, they will play one match against England in Amstelveen and one against Belgium in Antwerpen.
This tour will help the coaches test the players’ skills and find new talent for the senior team. Captain Sanjay said the tour will show the team’s strengths and weaknesses. He believes playing against strong teams will help both experienced and young players improve. He also said this experience is important to build a strong backup for the future.
Vice-captain Moirangthem said playing in Europe will teach them new ways to play hockey and make them faster and stronger. Young players will also learn to handle tough matches, which will help them grow.
Hockey India wants to create a strong pool of players for the main national team. This tour is a chance to give young players important international match experience.
The first match will be against Ireland on July 8 at 21:30 IST. Fans and coaches hope this tour will help Indian hockey get better and produce future stars who can make the country proud. Everyone is excited to see how the young team performs in Europe.