Hockey Pro League: Title, relegation battle in sight in mini-tournament in Antwerp

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Antwerp (Belgium). The title and relegation battle culminates in the final mini-tournament of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022/23 season, which begins here on Friday.

Hosts and defending Olympic champions Belgium will have the championship title and the relegation battle in the men’s and women’s events respectively at stake.

In the men’s competition, New Zealand have already trailed with three points from 16 matches. Great Britain are currently on the top spot with 32 points from their 16 matches. Netherlands (29 points from 14 matches), Belgium (24 points from 12 matches) and Spain (21 points from 12 matches) are all in the title race, and will play their final set of matches next week. The four-way title battle is expected to be a tightly contested affair, the FIH said in a release on Thursday.

In the women’s competition, the Netherlands have sealed their third Pro League title in four years, but the relegation battle remains open.

New Zealand have completed their 16-match set and find themselves in eighth place, one place above the US, three more points than the US team. But with four games remaining, the United States need four points from their matches in Antwerp to lift them above the Black Sticks and keep them in the competition next season.

The Indian women’s team has earned the right to be promoted to next season’s Pro League by winning the Nations Cup, the second stage competition.
(IANS)

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