Members of the Argentina Men’s Hockey team arrived on Sunday in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, ahead of the double-header against the hosts India in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22, scheduled to take place on March 19 and March 20 at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium. Upon his arrival, Argentina Head Coach Mariano Ronconi expressed delight at the prospect of playing against India at the Kalinga Stadium.
“It is always a great pleasure to play here at the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. It is also always a very good challenge to play against a team like India. We hope to deliver good performances in the upcoming two matches,” Ronconi said.
The World No. 6 Argentina won one out of their two games against Belgium in the FIH Pro League 2021/22 in February and then went on to pick up wins in both their matches against England. Speaking about the team’s preparedness ahead of clash against India, Argentina Men’s Head Coach said, “We have had a couple of months training together. The team has been very good and everyone in the team is always willing to play.”
“We have performed well so far in the FIH Pro League 2021/22. Of course, there are always things to work and improve on. Our main objective is to build a new and competitive team, and we are moving in the right direction,” he added.
Speaking on Team India ahead of the two-legged contest, Ronconi praised the Indian players for their speed and skill and gave his thoughts on the upcoming encounters.
“India have been coming strong over the last few years. They have also been getting some good results in every tournament they have played in. India have fast and very skillful players and they are also very strong on penalty corners,” Ronconi said.
“We expect to play our own game, and keep growing as a team. Hopefully, we will switch on our defensive and offensive systems well and get the points,” he signed off.
The double-header between India and Argentina will be played on March 19 and March 20 at 19:30 hrs IST. The India vs Argentina match on March 19 will be telecast live on Star Sports First and Hotstar, and India vs Argentina match on March 20 will be telecast live on Hotstar.
