Bhubaneswar, Feb 9: The England women’s hockey team arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Sunday ahead of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 India leg matches.

The World No. 7 side will face the hosts India and current World No. 1 Netherlands in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 India leg, scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar from February 15 to 25.

With one win and three losses so far, England have made a rocky start to their FIH Pro League campaign and will be hoping to turn things around despite facing challenging opponents.

Forward Darcy Bourne shared her excitement upon arriving in India saying, “We are very excited to be in India especially after the Hockey India League, expecting the atmosphere to be really big. This is my first time in India, but the buzz around hockey here is nothing like I have ever seen so I am extremely excited.”

Despite struggling at the World Cups recently, England are the current Commonwealth champions after the gold medal win in 2022. With big names in the squad this year, England are one of the teams to watch out for. Head coach David Ralph too echoed the excitement and stated, "We are expecting the matches to be very challenging but we are excited. It is going to be wonderful for the girls to play in front of the Indian crowd. In hockey, this is one of the best things you can experience.”

Currently, China lead the chart with 13 points in seven matches followed by Netherlands, Australia, Belgium and Argentina, respectively to complete the top 5. Indian women's team will begin their FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 campaign against England on February 15.

(IANS)

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