FIH Pro League: Harmanpreet Singh helps India overhaul Argentina

Indian men's hockey team finally  managed a narrow victory in the FIH Pro League, at the venue in Antwerp, Belgium, by defeating Argentina in a closely contested match on Sunday.

The scoring started early as Argentina took the lead with a goal from Monja Federico in the 2nd minute. India quickly responded, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 12th minute with a sensational long-range strike from Araijeet Singh Hundal.

India then took the lead in the 18th minute through Gurjant Singh's brilliant finish after a fantastic build-up play. However, Argentina fought back fiercely, equalizing at 2-2 in the 24th minute with Keenan Nicolas converting a penalty corner.

India regained the lead just before halftime, courtesy of Harmanpreet Singh's expertly taken penalty corner in the 29th minute, making it 3-2.

In the second half, Harmanpreet Singh continued his impressive performance, scoring two more goals for India. He completed his hat-trick by converting two penalty strokes, extending India's lead to 5-2.

However, Argentina showed great resilience, with Marcucci Tadeo and Martinez Lucas scoring in quick succession to narrow the gap to 5-4.

Despite Argentina's late surge, India held on to secure a hard-fought victory in a thrilling contest. 

India is currently placed second on the points table in the FIH Pro League, accumulating 21 points from 12 games with 4 wins. The Netherlands leads the table with 26 points.

What next for India?

Next up for India is a crucial match against Germany scheduled for June 1st, Saturday, at 2:30 PM in London, England. 

Goalscorers:

Argentina: Monja Federico 3’, Keenan Nicolas 24’ (PC), Marcucci Tadeo 54’, Martinez Lucas 57’

India: Hundal Araijeet Singh 7’, Gurjant Singh 18’, Harmanpreet Singh 29’ (PC) 50’ 52’ (PS)