Indian hockey teams depart to Spain for five nations tournament

Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh has set his eyes on climbing up the FIH rankings, while his female counterpart Savita hopes to iron out the kinks ahead of next month's Olympic Qualifiers at the 5 Nations tournament in Spain.

Both the Indian hockey teams will begin their campaign against Spain in Valencia on December 15.

For the men, the tournament will serve as a preparatory event ahead of the 2023-24 Hockey Pro League season. India will play against Spain, Germany, France and Belgium during the tournament.

The event also gains significance for the women's team as it will serve as the preparatory assignment ahead of the all-important Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi beginning January 13.

The women's team will have a big challenge in the coming days with Olympic qualifiers in January after failing to clinch the Olympic spot through the Asian Games spot.

The women's team will take on Spain in the first game before taking on Belgium on December 16, Germany on December 19, and Ireland in their last match on December 21.

Similarly, the men's team will open against Spain on December 15, followed by matches against Belgium (Dec 16), Germany (Dec 19), and France (Dec 20).