The Indian men's hockey team finally managed to secure their first win in their FIH Pro League campaign when they stunned World no. 1 Germany 3-1 in Rotterdam on Wednesday.
This win was essential for India, who had not secured a victory in their previous nine league matches. The game also marked Manpreet Singh's 413th international appearance, allowing the midfield legend to surpass Dilip Tirkey's record for the most international caps for India.
Goals from Mandeep Singh, Shilanand Lakra, and Nilakanta Sharma secured the win for India. India put up a much better performance compared to their last match, where they lost to the Netherlands 3-2 two days ago. The Indian team displayed quick ball movement, maintained a solid defensive structure, and capitalized on the mistakes made by a surprisingly careless German side.
India's victory, though, does not enhance their ranking, as they remain in eighth place with seven points from ten matches. Spain sit a spot above India with eight points, while Pakistan remain the only team yet to achieve a win this season, having lost all their games thus far. India is scheduled to play Germany again on Thursday for the second leg of their matchup, followed by a match against the Netherlands on Sunday. In the upcoming week, India will compete against Pakistan and England twice, concluding their Pro League campaign.
The team that finishes last at the end of the campaign will be relegated to the FIH Nations League, while the champion of the FIH Pro League will secure a spot at the LA 2028 Olympics.