Hockey Pro League: Eye on title, relegation battles in mini-tournament in Antwerp

Antwerp (Belgium), June 29 The battles for title and relegation will culminate in a flurry of action during the final mini-tournament of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022/23 season, which starts here on Friday.

Hosts and reigning Olympic champions Belgium will have massive stakes in the championship title and relegation battles in the men's and women's competitions, respectively.

In the men's competition, New Zealand have already been relegated, having taken three points from their 16 matches.

But the hunt for the title is still on.

Great Britain currently occupy the top spot with 32 points from their 16 games. The Netherlands (29 points from 14 games), Belgium (24 points from 12 games) and Spain (21 points from 12 games) are all in the fray for the title, and play their final set of matches over the next week, as this four-way title fight promises to go down the wire, the FIH informed in a release on Thursday.

In the women's competition, Netherlands have sealed a third title in four years in the Pro League, but the battle for relegation remains wide open.

New Zealand have completed their set of 16 matches and find themselves in eighth place, one spot above the USA, having scored three more points than the team from America. But with four games in hand, the USA need four points from their matches in Antwerp, to lift them above the Black Sticks and keep them in the competition next season.

The Indian women's team has won the right to be promoted for next season's Pro League by winning the Nations Cup, the second-rung competition.