The FIH Pro League second season gets underway on 11 January 2020 with an exciting clash between Asian giants China and the world number one team and reigning FIH Hockey Pro League champions, the Netherlands. The second fixture between the two teams will take place 24 hours later, in line with FIH changes to the structure of the league, which reduces the travel undertaken by teams.
China, who are ranked 10th in the world, finished the first season in seventh place, with four wins to their name. Under new Head Coach Wang Yang, they will be looking to finish much higher in the table this time around. The team has a tremendous fan base with Chinese supporters flocking to the Wujin Stadium in Changzhou and really embracing the opportunity to watch top flight international hockey.
However, to get a good result in their opening match, the Asian team will need to turn things around against their European counterparts. The previous two meetings between China and the Netherlands saw the European team boss the fixture winning 1-2 and 6-0.
Here long serving defender and captain Cui Qiuxia talks about her expectations for China’s opening match in the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League.
What are you expecting from the first match of the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League season?
Cui Qiuxia: “It will be a really challenging game for us [versus the Netherlands] but hopefully we can do well.”
What do you need to do as a team to beat the world number one side?
Cui Qiuxia: “First we have to make sure we don’t allow our opponents to score. Once we have sorted our defensive structure, then we need to create scoring opportunities.”
How important will the home support be for China in the opening game?
Cui Qiuxia: “Whether it is the first game or any other game, the supporters are very important to us.”
What is your message to the fans?
Cui Qiuxia: “I love our fans. If you can, come along to the game and support us. You will see amazing hockey from some of the best players in the world. I hope you enjoy it.”
Re-live the first edition of the FIH Pro League on www.fihproleague.com and www.fih.live!
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