Sports: Indian women, Ireland men back in FIH Pro League Season 5

When season 5 of the elite FIH Pro League starts on December 6 in Argentina this year, it will welcome India (women) and Ireland (men) as substitutes for New Zealand (men and women) who will miss the next edition. While New Zealand women have pulled out, the men were relegated on the basis of its performance in the last edition.

Indian teams, men and women, will, however, wait for their first games only in 2024 when one of the six mini tournaments are held in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar.

The International Hockey Federation announced a changed pattern and schedule of games for the Edition 5 on Thursday. It will be played in the form of six “mini tournaments”, two of which will be played in Argentina, including the opening mini tournament from December 6 this year. It will be played at Santiago del Estero and will feature among others hosts Argentina and Great Britain.

Indian women, fresh from qualification from the Nations Cup, will play their first match in Odisha in February. They will take on their continental rivals China in their opener.

Argentina and Great Britain – women and men – will launch season 5 of the FIH Hockey Pro League on 6 December 2023 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. Promoted from the inaugural FIH Hockey Nations Cup India (women) and Ireland (men) will play their first match vs China and the Netherlands respectively, in Bhubaneswar, India. This was revealed today with the release of a complete draw, including all venues, dates and timings – by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

As already announced in April, season 5 of the FIH Hockey Pro League – ‘Hockey at its Best’ – will include six “mini-tournaments”:

●  Santiago del Estero, Argentina (6-11 December 2023)

●  Buenos Aires, Argentina (14-19 February 2024)

●  Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, India (3-25 February 2024)

●  Antwerp, Belgium (22 May-2 June 2024)

●  Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, Great Britain (1-12 June 2024)

●  Utrecht and Amsterdam, Netherlands (22-30 June 2024)

With the promotion/relegation principle applied – for the first time – to the FIH Hockey Pro League, Season 5 will welcome two teams that have qualified through the first edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup played last year, namely India (women) and Ireland  (men). India are joining in place of New Zealand (women), who withdrew from the upcoming season, while Ireland are replacing New Zealand (men), who were relegated at the end of the previous season.

Furthermore, being crowned champions of the FIH Hockey Pro League Season 5 will come along with a new and tremendous incentive in the form of a direct qualification for the Women’s and Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2026!