Paris: On Thursday, the Indian men’s hockey team rallied from a goal down to defeat Spain 2-1 in the third-place game and win a second consecutive bronze medal in the Olympic Games here. Veteran goalie PR Sreejesh received a fitting farewell from the sport with a brace of goals from captain Harmanpreet Singh.
India, the bronze medallists from the Tokyo Olympics, showed remarkable resilience after falling behind a goal scored by Marc Miralles from a penalty stroke in the second quarter. They rallied admirably, winning their second consecutive bronze medal in 52 years when Harmanpreet scored twice from penalty corners in the 29th and 33rd minutes. This victory is a testament to their unwavering spirit and determination. Before this, India had only won bronze medals in the Games in 1968 and 1972.
With this medal, India’s Olympic hockey total rises to 13—eight gold, one silver, and four bronze—further solidifying its position as the most successful nation in field hockey.
India has already earned four medals at the Olympic Games in Paris, including three bronzes in shooting.
Even though Harmanpreet Singh scored the two goals, it was the collective effort of the team that made the victory possible. Goalie Sreejesh, standing like the Rock of Gibraltar, and the rest of the team, blocking the Spaniards’ repeated attempts to equalise, demonstrated a strong sense of unity and teamwork.
India had many nervous moments as Spain was awarded nine penalty corners overall but failed to convert any of them. In contrast, India gained six penalty corners and scored on two of them. In the final five to six minutes, India courageously defended, at times blocking with their bodies to stop the Spanish.
For the first time in fifty years, India had shocked Australia by finishing second in Pool B. Then, in a shoot-out in the quarterfinal, they defeated Great Britain. The squad gave it everything they had in the semifinal matchup with World Champion Germany, but they were narrowly defeated.
However, they more than made up for it with a superb comeback victory to capture a second straight medal.
–IANS
