Rourkela: India endured a tough evening at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, losing 4-2 to Belgium in the Rourkela match of the FIH Men’s Pro League 2025-26 on Saturday. It was the second meeting between the two teams in this game, with Belgium having already won the first meeting 3-1.
The visitors set the tone early, Alexander Hendrickx (14th, 17th) scored two goals, while Hugo Labouchere (11th) and Arthur de Sloover (15th) also scored the goals. India showed much more discipline after the break and did not concede another goal, but goals from Aditya Lalage (24th minute) and captain Harmanpreet Singh (37th minute) could not undo the damage caused by Belgium’s dominant opening phase.
Belgium started purposefully, controlling possession and dictating the tempo from the opposition onwards. Hardik Singh created an early lead that sent the home crowd into a frenzy and India even thought they had taken the lead in the seventh minute, but that attempt was ruled out. This moment proved crucial as Belgium soon took the lead.
They conceded their first penalty corner in the 11th minute and Labouchere scored the decisive point with a nice conversion. The pressure barely let up. Just three minutes later, Hendrickx unleashed a fierce drag flick after another penalty corner, doubling the lead. India were briefly steadied by a sharp foot save from goalkeeper Suraj Karkera, but Belgium struck again in the final seconds of the first quarter. A clever variation after the third penalty corner ended with de Sloover confidently finishing the ball to make it 3-0.
The second quarter brought more of the same. Belgium’s structure and precision continued to cause problems for India and in the fourth penalty corner in the 17th minute, Hendrickx scored his second goal to extend the lead to 4-0. When the game threatened to slip away, India finally found the spark.
In the 24th minute, Abhishek made a lively run through the Belgian defense and saved a shot. Goalkeeper Loic Van Doren managed to block the ball but Aditya Lalage reacted quickest and tapped in the rebound to put India on the scoreboard 4-1. Just before half-time, Belgium had another penalty corner, but the attempt went wide, allowing India a brief breather.
After the break the fight became much more even. India tightened their defense and started to enjoy longer periods of possession. They successfully defended Belgium’s sixth penalty corner in the 36th minute, a moment that seemed to boost their confidence. Soon after, Sukhjeet Singh’s energetic run earned India a penalty corner of their own.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh came out confidently in the 37th minute and scored his first goal of the 2025-26 season, reducing the lead to 4-2. Both teams then exchanged their chances. Karkera saved another important Belgian set piece while Van Doren saved Harmanpreet from India’s second penalty corner in the 44th minute.
India entered the final quarter with urgency, pushing forward in search of another breakthrough. They came agonizingly close to a third goal, but Van Doren parried the ball brilliantly and ensured Belgium’s cushion remained intact. At the other end, Indian goalkeeper Pawan showed sharp reflexes to block a dangerous Belgian move a few minutes later.
As the game entered its final stages, Belgium took a more aggressive approach to finish the game. Pawan’s brilliant double save in the 56th minute left India’s hopes reeling but the hosts failed to put the finishing touch. Despite sustained efforts in the final minutes, Belgium’s disciplined defense held firm and secured a deserved win.
India will now look to regroup quickly as they prepare for their final game of the Rourkela round against Argentina, scheduled at 7:30 pm IST tomorrow.
