Five-Nations Hockey 2023 Men's Tournament: India vs Spain preview & prediction
The Five-Nations Hockey tournament will witness the Indian men's hockey team take on four European powerhouses ahead of the Hockey Pro League games and the 2024 Olympics that follow.
Craig Fulton's team, who are ranked third as per the FIH, will square off with Olympic gold-medalists Belgium, 2023 World Cup champions Germany, hosts Spain, and a French side on the ascendancy.
The Indians, who are likely to rotate a large 24-man squad during the course of the Five-Nations hockey tournament, begin their campaign against Spain on December 15.
The Men in Blue have had the upper hand against the Spanish Red Sticks in recent times. Back in the 2021 Olympics, the Indians cruised to a 3-0 win over Spain, who were then coached by Fred Soyez.
Spain, under the tutelage of Max Caldas, went down 0-2 to India in their opening match of the 2023 World Cup. The Indians did, however, slump to a 1-2 defeat against the home team at the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation tournament earlier this year.
Spain, who are currently ranked eighth on the FIH ranking ladder, have some exciting young talent in the ranks but do not possess the level of experience that the Indians currently boast of. A fast and open contest is on the cards as Fulton's side attempts to test out the combinations ahead of the Paris Olympics next year.
How does the field stack up for India at the Five-Nations Hockey tournament?
The Indians are the second-ranked side in the Five-Nations Hockey tournament in Valencia after having shot up the FIH rankings earlier this year.
The Belgians, who lost to Germany in a pulsating shootout in the 2023 Hockey World Cup final are currently second in the FIH rankings behind the Netherlands, who currently occupy the top slot.
The Germans find themselves in the fifth spot after having lost to Spain twice in the 2022-23 FIH Pro League season.
France, who stunned the hockey world by progressing to the quarterfinals of the 2018 Hockey World Cup, occupies the ninth slot despite a disappointing World Cup campaign earlier this year where they ended up 13th in a 16-team competition.
The Indians have a mix of youth and experience in the squad with youngsters like Yashdeep Siwach, Karthi Selvam, and Jugraj Singh rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lalit Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh and PR Sreejesh.
Former captain Manpreet Singh is not in the team for the Five-Nations hockey tournament with Vivek Sagar and Nilakanta Sharma picked to man the midfield alongside youngsters like Rajkumar Pal and Rabichandra Moirangthem.
Prediction:
India 4 - 0 Spain