The Hobart leg of the 2025-26 FIH Hockey Pro League concluded on February 25 with contrasting fortunes for the host nation, as India's men salvaged a shootout victory over the Kookaburras and China's women cemented their status as one of the most formidable sides in world hockey.

In the final men's match of the Hobart schedule, Australia and India played out a tense 1-1 draw before India triumphed 3-1 in the resulting shootout to claim the bonus point. Jeremy Hayward broke the deadlock in the 49th minute with a well-executed penalty corner drag-flick, but India responded almost immediately through Shilanand Lakra, who equalized just three minutes later to send the match into a shootout.

Indian goalkeeper Mohith HS proved to be the hero in the shootout, making crucial saves as Australia's Tim Brand, Liam Henderson, and Cooper Burns all failed to convert their attempts. Shilanand and Maninder Singh found the net for India before Vishukanth sealed the victory with a composed finish. The result marked India's first shootout win of the Hobart leg after previous shootout defeats to both Australia and Spain earlier in the week.

Despite that consolation, it was a difficult leg overall for India's men, who arrived in Tasmania hoping to climb the standings. A 2-0 loss to Spain on February 21 set a disappointing tone, and a shootout loss to the same opponents on February 24 after a 1-1 draw compounded their frustrations. India currently sit second from bottom in the Pro League standings with just four points from eight matches, while Belgium lead the table with 22 points and Australia remain in close pursuit on 21.

Australia's men had a more productive week on home soil, recording comfortable victories of 3-1 and 3-0 over Spain on February 20 and 23 respectively, and edging India in their first encounter through a 5-4 shootout win after a 2-2 draw on February 22.

The women's competition in Hobart belonged emphatically to China, who swept all three of their matches with impressive authority. After a resounding 3-0 victory over Spain on February 21, the Chinese women turned their attention to the Hockeyroos and delivered two commanding performances, winning 3-1 on February 22 and repeating the scoreline on February 25. The statistics told a story of total domination, with China recording 28 circle penetrations to Australia's eight and earning 10 penalty corners compared to just four for the hosts.

Spain's women also enjoyed success in Hobart, defeating Australia 4-1 in the opening round of matches on February 20 before drawing 2-2 with China on February 24, though they fell short in the subsequent shootout as China claimed the bonus point 4-3.

The results leave the Hockeyroos with serious questions to answer on home soil, having struggled against both visiting teams throughout the week. The FIH Pro League now enters a break before action resumes in June, when India will travel to the Netherlands and London for their next fixtures. With the 2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup qualifiers set to begin in Ismailia, Egypt on March 1, the international hockey calendar shows no signs of slowing down as teams across the globe continue to jockey for position on the world stage.