Indian Women's Hockey Team Faces Uphill Battle to Avoid FIH Pro League Relegation: Scenarios and Challenges

Monday - 11/08/2025 04:09

Three teams, two matches, one relegation battle: here's how India can avoid relegation from FIH Pro League.

The Indian women's hockey team is facing a challenging away campaign in the FIH Pro League, mirroring the struggles of their male counterparts. However, unlike the men's team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, who avoided relegation due to Ireland's significantly lower standing, Salima Tete's squad is in a direct battle to remain in the competition next season. Their goal: avoid finishing last.

With just two matches remaining, can India escape relegation from the FIH Pro League? Let's examine the scenarios.

Current Standings Overview

Currently, India sits at the bottom of the table with a mere 10 points from 14 matches. The relegation fight includes England, who are second-to-last with 11 points from 14 matches, and Germany, in seventh place with 13 points from the same number of matches.

All three teams have two matches left, making the fight to avoid the bottom spot intense. The ninth-placed team will be relegated to the FIH Nations Cup, missing the opportunity to compete against top hockey teams in the next FIH Pro League season.

Adding to the drama, England and Germany will face each other twice in a direct relegation showdown, while India will play China in both their remaining matches. The Dutch women's team has already secured their record fifth title at the top of the table.

India's Path to Survival

India's chances have been severely hampered by their inability to secure a clear win in their last six matches. Facing strong opponents like Australia, Argentina, and Belgium, they lost five matches and drew against Argentina, ultimately losing in a shootout. Consequently, their survival now depends on other results as well.

The ideal situation for India is to win both their games against China, boosting their points to 16 (three points for a win). They would then need England and Germany to not surpass that point total. If India manages one outright win and a draw, they must hope that either Germany or England suffers one or two outright losses. Even a single loss for India would make avoiding relegation an uphill battle.

Indian team strategizing during a timeout — The Indian team huddles, mapping out their strategy. Hockey India

Shootout wins also provide a crucial bonus point (totaling two points), which could significantly aid India's survival.

In essence, India must avoid outright defeats in both matches. Securing outright wins is crucial because the number of victories in a season is the primary tie-breaker if teams have equal points, followed by goal difference and goals scored. Currently, India has only two outright wins, while Germany and England each have three.

Tie-Breaking Procedures

If two or more teams are tied on match wins, goal difference, and goals scored, the aggregate results of matches played between those teams will determine the final rankings.

If a tie persists, the number of field goals scored will be considered, followed by the team with fewer red, yellow, and green cards received during the season.

Indian player in action during a Pro League match — An Indian player showcases her skills on the field. Hockey India

Final Verdict: Can India Survive?

As previously stated, India's fate is no longer solely in their hands, and their recent performance adds to the challenge. To make matters worse, they face China in must-win games. China, the Olympic silver medalists, currently rank fourth in the Pro League with 22 points, including six wins.

India has defeated China twice at the Asian Champions Trophy, but these victories were against a significantly rotated team, without their regular head coach Alyson Annan.

In their recent games against Belgium in Berlin, India struggled to score goals, while their defense conceded seven. While they are competitive, they have not done enough to secure wins. Head coach Harendra Singh acknowledges that his team must improve in all areas to avoid relegation. While not impossible, survival appears increasingly unlikely.