The FIH Hockey Pro League
The “League of the Best” – is an annual global league involving hockey’s best national teams in the world, men and women. It is an annual league in which top national hockey teams are selected. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the wanted FIH Hockey Pro League Trophy. In addition to the trophy, winning the league also provides direct qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup.
HISTORY AND EVOLUTION:
First Season (2019):
The FIH Hockey Pro League was launched in 2019 by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to boost the sports sector of the world.
The first season featured top nine men’s and women’s national teams. The league introduced regular matches, modern broadcasting, and new energy to the hockey field.
The teams that participated in the league were:
Australia
Argentina
Belgium
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
New Zealand
Spain
India had originally qualified but they were not ready to play and they backed off. Pakistan was expected to participate but was suspended after failing to play their initial matches. Each of the 8 participating teams played 14 matches.
The top 4 teams were qualified for the semi-finals including:
Australia (32 points)
Belgium (28 points)
Netherlands (23 points)
Great Britain (22 points)
Best Player of the League: Aran Zalewski (Australia)
Top Scorer: Blake Govers (Australia) – 12 goals
Best Goal of the Grand Final: Tom Boon (Belgium)
Champion: Australia
Second Season (2020–21):
It was held from January 2020 to June 2021. The tournament was disturbed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The teams that participated in the league were:
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Germany
Great Britain
India
Netherlands
New Zealand
Spain
Due to COVID-19, all matches were not played. Final rankings were announced on the basis of points:
Belgium – 76.19%
Australia
Netherlands
India – 62.5%
Champion: Belgium
Top Scorer: Alexander Hendrickx (Belgium) – 11 goals
Third Season (2021–22):
It was held from October 16, 2021 to June 26, 2022. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament showed a high level of hockey across participating nations.
The teams that participated were:
Argentina
Belgium
England
France
Germany
India
Netherlands
South Africa
Spain
The Netherlands secured the title with a 2–1 victory over India.
Top Goal Scorer:
Harmanpreet Singh (India) – 18 goals
Tom Boon (Belgium) – 12 goals
Nicholas Bandurak (England) – 10 goals
Fourth Season (2022–23):
It was held from October 28, 2022 to July 5, 2023. The tournament included 9 teams:
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Germany
Great Britain
India
Netherlands
New Zealand
Spain
Total matches played: 72
Total goals scored: 348
The Netherlands secured their second Pro League title, finishing just ahead of Great Britain and Belgium.
India achieved their best-ever finish, ending in fourth place.
Champion: Netherlands
Fifth Season (2023–24):
It was held from December 6, 2023 to June 30, 2024. The tournament featured 9 teams.
Final Rankings for 2023–24 season:
Australia – Champions
Netherlands – Runners-up
Great Britain – Third Place
Argentina
Belgium
Germany
India
Spain
Ireland
Top Goal Scorers:
Jip Janssen (Netherlands) – 15 goals
Blake Govers (Australia) – 12 goals
Harmanpreet Singh (India) – 12 goals
Total Matches Played: 72
Field Goals: 198
Penalty Goals: 124
Penalty Stroke Goals: 19
FIH Pro League Champions Summary:
2019 – Australia
2020–21 – Belgium
2021–22 – Netherlands
2022–23 – Netherlands
2023–24 – Australia
2024–25 Season
The 2024–25 season is still underway and here are the halfway stats for the event: Click Here
Other than that FIH Pro League is a great initiative by the FIH(Federation of International Hockey) to organize this type of event, where the top teams from around the globe play each other throughout the season.