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Indian men defeat Netherlands 3-2 for a thrilling win
Jugraj Singh, Abhishek, and Rajinder Singh were the scorers for the winners
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Mon, 22, Jun 2026
- 02:12 EDT
- 16
Indian Hockey / X@TheHockeyIndia
The Indian men’s hockey team wrapped up its Rotterdam leg of the FIH Pro League on a winning note. The visitors defeated the home team 3-2 in an absorbing and thrilling encounter.
With this win, India avenged its first-match defeat at the hands of the host. Incidentally, India ended its Rotterdam engagements on a mixed note by winning and losing one game each against the Netherlands and Germany.
At the end of the second leg of the league, India, with two wins, was still placed eighth, just one spot above bottom-placed Pakistan.
Now, the Indian team moves to the third and final venue of the league in London, where it takes on archrival and neighbor Pakistan on June 23 and 26, besides host England, to complete its 16-game roster.
Indians produced a resilient performance to defeat the Netherlands 3-2 and avenge their first-match defeat by an identical margin last week.
Goals from Jugraj Singh (18'), Abhishek (27'), and Rajinder Singh (56') helped India secure its second outright victory of the leg. Stand-in captain Hardik Singh was named Player of the Match for his exceptional leadership and midfield display. For Jugraj Singh, it turned out to be a memorable outing as he not only completed 100 international caps but also scored in his 100th and 101st matches.
The Netherlands played strongly in the first quarter, showcasing impressive passing and putting the Indian backline under early pressure. Though India had a slightly shaky start, the defenders quickly found their rhythm and contained the Dutch attackers. India created a few entries into the opposition circle but could not find the final pass, leaving the first quarter scoreless.
India increased the intensity in the second quarter and immediately won its first penalty corner. Jugraj Singh (18') fired a powerful drag flick to the left of Dutch goalkeeper Derk Meijer to make it 1-0. The Netherlands responded instantly, equalizing through a penalty corner goal by Pepijn van der Heijden (19'). The hosts continued to press, testing the Indian goalkeeper, but the Indian defense held firm. In the 27th minute, Jarmanpreet Singh set up a brilliant pass for Abhishek, who smashed a backhand shot into the net to restore India’s lead at 2-1 before halftime.
In the second half, India looked to control the game through neat passing, while a determined Dutch side kept making inroads into the Indian circle. The Netherlands won a penalty corner in the 41st minute, but Amit Rohidas comfortably deflected van der Heijden’s shot. Another penalty corner opportunity for the hosts was wasted because of a mistake by the stopper, allowing a composed Indian side to sustain its 2-1 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter saw the Netherlands pushing hard for an equalizer, but errors in the penalty corner setup continued to frustrate the hosts. India remained composed, avoiding unnecessary risks. In the 56th minute, a quick counterattack by Dilpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh created a dangerous two-on-one situation. While Dutch player Joppe Wolbert made an extraordinary save, he was handed a yellow card for a foul during the play. India capitalized on the resulting penalty corner, with Rajinder Singh (56') drag flicking it straight into the goal to make it 3-1.
Down to 10 men, the Netherlands won three consecutive penalty corners in the 58th minute, but the Indian penalty corner defense blocked them all. The hosts finally pulled a goal back in the 59th minute through a clever penalty corner variation completed by Koen Bijen (59') to make it 3-2. India won a penalty corner in the final 10 seconds of the match, and though it was blocked, the final whistle blew to seal a hard-fought three points for India.
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