Confident Spain out to tackle India in FIH Pro League

The Spanish women's hockey team touched down in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday ahead of their FIH Pro League matches against India.

India and Spain are scheduled to play two matches at the Kalinga Stadium in the Odisha capital on February 26 and 27.

This will be the first time the Spanish women's team will be playing in India.

Read: Savita Punia to lead India in Hockey Pro League

Ahead of the matches, Spain head coach Adrian Lock said that his team is gunning to make an impact in their first Pro League outing.

"We are very excited to come to India for the first time and play against India at the Kalinga Stadium. We don't often get to play at big stadiums. We are very much looking forward to it. It's a new experience for us. Both teams are in the FIH Pro League for the first time. So, yes, very much looking forward to the game," he told Hockey India on arrival.

Spain skipper exudes confidence

Spain lost their opening match of the FIH Pro League against the Netherlands but managed to push their second game against the Dutch to a shoot-out.

The Spanish team's captain Maria Lopez said earning a point against the Netherlands has given her team confidence ahead of the matches against India.

"We were really happy with the level of skills we showed against the Netherlands. They are definitely the best team in the world. We earned a point against them. We obviously came here very confident," Lopez said.

However, the team isn't taking the hosts lightly. The visitors have done their homework and know India's strengths and weaknesses.

"We know India are a really strong team. They have already played two games in the Pro League and won both their games. We know we have to fight for it," she said.

Lopez also expressed confidence in the team's preparedness for the upcoming challenge. She is hopeful of her team giving a strong competition to India.

"We feel we are ready to go. We have a lot of new members in our team who have been performing well. It has been a really exciting time. We got a good start in Spain, we had our first two games there. So, we hope we can continue in the same vein of form here in India," Lopez said.