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Both the Men's and Women's teams of Spain arrived together at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Monday as they gear up for the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 matches in India, Hockey India said.
The Men's side faces host India on February 15 and 16 followed by England on February 19 while the Women's team take on Germany on February 15 and 16 before facing India on February 19. In terms of standings, both squads are struggling in their respective tables and will be eyeing to get wins under their belt early on in their Pro League campaign. The Men's team is currently placed sixth with just one win and a draw in four games. On the other hand, the Women's team is eighth with four games played and are yet to win a match. Upon arrival, the Men's team captain, Alvaro Iglesias shared his thoughts about playing in India and stated that they are very excited to return to India but they need to improve. "We are very excited to return to India. We were in Australia for four games, but we need to improve, so I am hoping to win more games here. We always love playing here in India because hockey is very popular and the stadium is filled with fans," Iglesias was quoted in a release from Hockey India as saying. The Women's team captain Lucia Jiminez spoke along similar lines when she said, "This (Bhubaneswar) is a really important city for hockey and we are extremely excited to play in front of this crowd. This tournament is really important for us and we want to be in the FIH Pro League next year so we know it is crucial for us to win. We will try to play our best hockey to win every match." Earlier on Sunday, the England Women's Hockey Team arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha ahead of the FIH Hockey Pro League 202/25 India leg matches. The world number seven side will face the hosts India and current world number one Netherlands in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 India leg, scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar from February 15-25. (ANI)
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