The first day of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024 saw ten games cover a full spectrum of results across venues in both Ranchi and Valencia. The Spanish women freely scored seven past Malaysia, whilst USA stunned hosts India in a tight 1-0 win. The late downpour of goals from Egypt and Korea’s men in a 4-4 thriller, was a far different game to the Irish women’s solid 0-0 draw against a threatening Belgium. The variety of results have begun to shape the standings in the pool stage, with draws meaning that several teams sit on level points. It was a promising first step on the road to Paris, showing a hint of what these qualifiers have in store for players and fans alike.
