Time for youngsters to shine & impress

ROURKELA: Ahead of a challenging year, the Indian men’s hockey team will play their first match of 2026 when they open their campaign in FIH Pro League against Belgium at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Wednesday.It will be quite a test for the hosts as Belgium, the former Olympic and World Champions, have come down with an experienced squad, including the likes of Arthur van Doren, Alexander Hendrickx, Arthur de Sloover and Tom Boon and will look to carry on their good show in the tournament after having won three of their first four matches.

The Belgian seniors also played in the Hockey India League and are accustomed to the conditions, which should give them an edge.

Moreover, the team got the better of an inexperienced Indian side when they met in the final of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.However, India, albeit playing with a few youngsters, will not be any pushovers considering they will play at home and looked in good touch during the practice session on Tuesday evening. Coach Craig Fulton put them through a rigorous session, making them play across varied structures for nearly an hour, starting with half the field before gradually expanding to the full turf.

Asked how he wants the team to play in the opener, the coach was quite clear.“What we need to do is play the Indian way. We have a good structure in place – on the ball, off the ball – but we allow the players to play within that structure and use their instinct, flair and skill. If we don’t have a structure and it becomes just ping pong, that’s not what we want,” said the coach on Wednesday.Besides the structure, also in focus will be the youngsters and one among them is Araijeet Singh Hundal.

The 22-year-old missed the junior World Cup with an injury but he impressed during the HIL and looked in fine touch during the practice session on Tuesday.“He’s done really well. Hockey India League was good and he did what we expected from him. He’s fit, he’s healthy and he has returned. So, we want to give him his opportunity,” said the coach.While it’s unlikely that any of the three debutants in the squad will get a chance during the opening match, also looking to make a mark will be goalkeeper Pawan. He has been around for a while and was part of the side that played the two games in South Africa. With Krishan Bahadur Pathak not in the team, he and Suraj Karkera will have to pull up their socks to keep the Belgians in check.Beyond the on-field action, it will be interesting to see the turnout on Wednesday, with international hockey returning to Rourkela after nearly two years and fans turning up in good numbers for the Argentina-Belgium game on Tuesday.