The India A men’s hockey team concluded their European tour with a 2–8 loss against the Netherlands, with young Indian midfielder Rajinder Singh and forward Selvam Karthi scoring the two goals for India A in the final match.
This marked the India A side’s second defeat to the Dutch team, following a 3–0 loss on July 18.
India A began their European tour on July 8 and played a total of eight matches against five European teams. The squad travelled across three cities to compete against some of the world’s top hockey nations, including World No. 1 Netherlands and World No. 3 Belgium.
Reflecting on the experience, India A coach Shivendra Singh said, “While we may have had more losses than wins during this European tour, it was never about the results — it was about the learning and the experience we gained as a team.”
He added, “We had a mix of senior and junior players in India A, and they have gained very valuable experience over the past two weeks. As we head back to India, I’m confident that these players will use this exposure to improve their game in future matches.”
India A played against Ireland, France, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands during the tour and managed to secure three wins.
The Indian side started their campaign with a dominant 6–1 victory over Ireland, followed by another commanding 6–0 win in the second match against the same opponents. They continued their winning momentum by defeating France 3–2 in their third game of the tour.