India and Spain will play in the upcoming women's Hockey Pro League as replacement teams only for this season after pull-outs by Australia and New Zealand, the international Hockey Federation (FIH) said on Friday. The third season of the women's FIH Hockey Pro League begins on October 13 with Olympic and world champions the Netherlands taking on Belgium. "FIH is glad to announce that the women's national teams of India and Spain will join the FIH Hockey Pro League – "Hockey at its Best" – for Season 3," the International Hockey Federation said in a statement. Royal Spanish Hockey Federation President Santiago Deo said: "The participation of the women's team in the FIH Hockey Pro League will enable our team to play against the best teams in the world. This will also make them better prepare for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022."

Source: Hindustan Times October 08, 2021 09:45 UTC