FIH Pro League
01 March 2021

GB's Men To Face India And Belgium In Uncapped Matches

Great Britain’s men will face India and Belgium in four uncapped matches as part of their preparations for the resumption of the FIH Hockey Pro League and subsequent Tokyo Olympics.

Having been able to train hard over the past few months, these fixtures provide the first opportunity for the team to travel abroad and put into action what they have been working on at Bisham Abbey.

Head coach Danny Kerry has named a squad of 22 players for the trip, with Sam Ward hoping to pull on the GB shirt for the first time since the 2019 FIH Olympic Qualifiers. David Ames also returns having been unavailable for the FIH Hockey Pro League games against The Netherlands and Germany late last year.

Following the birth of his first child, Phil Roper will stay at home. Ashley Jackson, Henry Weir, Rhys Smith, Harry Martin, Chris Griffiths and Liam Ansell are injured and will also not travel with the team.

Great Britain Hockey’s Performance Director Ed Barney said: “We’re delighted to be on the road and these matches will be of huge value to the squad in our ongoing preparations for Tokyo 2020. Our time in the UK has been invaluable and it's not often that we have the opportunity for such uninterrupted and dedicated training.

“These fixtures present a real opportunity to apply much of what we’ve been working on at Bisham. We know we are in a privileged position to be able to travel and play and that is certainly something the players and staff are relishing.”

All of the games are being played behind closed doors and will not be streamed. As they are uncapped matches, GB Hockey will also not be providing reports on the games.

GB and Belgium played out two closely fought games in the FIH Hockey Pro League back in November, with the latter coming out narrow victors on both occasions. The last time India and GB met in a competitive match was at the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where the game finished 2-2.

Great Britain and India are then due to meet again when the FIH Hockey Pro League returns to Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre this May, with games scheduled for 8 and 9 May. The women’s team will also be in action that weekend against China. For more information, click here.