Hockey: India and Germany to play two-match series in New Delhi next month

Hyderabad: The Indian men’s hockey team and world champion Germany will play a two-match series in New Delhi next month.

The bilateral series will be played at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on October 23 and October 24.

India and Germany have had many nail-biting duels in the past with some of the memorable matches coming in big-ticket events. While India beat Germany to win the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Germany beat India 3-2 in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics 2024 in August.

India then beat Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal match to win their second consecutive Olympic medal.

Hockey India, in a statement, confirmed the bilateral series. “This bilateral series against Germany will be a remarkable showcase of world-class hockey. Both India and Germany have a rich history in the sport, and this series will give fans an opportunity to witness an intense competition between two of the most formidable teams in the world,” Dilip Tirkey, the president of Hockey India, stated in a media release.

The German Hockey Federation president Henning Fastrich said playing against India, in India, is special. “India has always been a special place for hockey, and our team is excited to play in front of passionate Indian hockey fans,” Fastrich said.

India, coached by Craig Fulton and captained by Harmanpreet Singh, won their fifth Asian Champions Trophy title in China earlier this month. The team will be training at their base in the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bengaluru.