The 2022-23 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League (Men) got off to a thundering start as hosts India beat New Zealand 4-3, courtesy of a brace from Mandeep Singh at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha today. After trailing 1-3, the Men in Blue came back from behind to clinch the thrilling win.

New Zealand pulled one back in the 23rd minute of the game via a penalty shootout after India started with a field goal from Mandeep Mor in the last minute of the first quarter.

The visitors continued their domination in the first half with their forwards putting some exciting skills on display and making successive circle penetrations. The Black Sticks made their presence count as they converted another two goals in the third quarter making the score 3-1. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh pulled one back for the hosts as India went into the last quarter with a goal behind.

It was then Mandeep Singh day as he netted two goals in the fourth quarter to help India win the first match of the FIH Hockey Pro League season. India will next play Spain in Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on October 30.

“The boys did an excellent job as we were playing after a long gap, but coming back from behind to win the match is always a great feeling. We made some mistakes, and we will work on those before our next match against Spain. Spain is a really good team and we would look to continue our winning performance in this FIH Hockey Pro League season”, shared Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh post their win.

Black Sticks captain Nic Woods was heart-broken as he thought they outplayed India in most of the occasions but failed to control the match in the last quarter: “India is a really good team and we gave them a really good fight but I feel we could not keep the ball possession. We have a tough game coming up against Spain tomorrow, and we will try to tick all the boxes that we missed today.”

RESULT:
28 October (Match 1): India (Mandeep Mor 14-FG, Harmanpreet Singh 42-PS, Mandeep Singh 52-FG, 57-FG) beat New Zealand (Sam Lane 23-PS, 36-PC; Jake Smith 35-FG) 4-3. Player of the Match: Mandeep Singh (India).
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PHOTO: Mandeep Singh celebrates after scoring a goal against New Zealand in their FIH Pro League match in Bhubaneswar on 28 October 2022.