Antwerpen [Belgium], July 17 : The India A Men's Hockey Team suffered an unfortunate 1-3 loss in their European tour against Belgium at the Sportcentrum WilrijksePlein in Antwerpen, Belgium. Captain Sanjay led his side from the front and scored the solitary goal for the Indian team.
Belgium scored three goals in the first quarter itself, taking an early lead in the match. India did well to sustain the pressure, hold possession, and create good opportunities in the attack over the remaining three quarters, as they managed to score in the final quarter of the game, according to a press release from Hockey India.
After the match, India 'A' Coach Shivendra Singh said, as quoted by Hockey India press release, "Despite a shaky start, the overall game was very good. We conceded early but did well to bounce back and control the game in the second half. The ball positioning was good and we created a lot of chances, just need to focus on our finishing."
"There is a lot of pressure on these young players since they are facing some of the world's best teams and players. Despite that, the boys are playing with great confidence and have been impressive on the field. This tour is all about developing these youngsters and helping them reach their potential. We face World No. 1, The Netherlands, next, and such experiences are going to be very useful for these players in their careers," he added.
The India A Men's Hockey Team will now head to back to Eindhoven to play two crucial matches against the Netherlands on July 18 and July 20 at 21:30 IST and 20:30 IST respectively, as they will hope to end their European tour on a positive note.