- Harmanpreet Singh and co. help India claim their 13th medal in Hockey at the Olympics!
- A memorable last dance for legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh
Paris: Indian Men’s Hockey Team scripted history, beat Spain 2-1 to win back-to-back Bronze medals at the Olympic Games. A befitting farewell to legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh who played his last International hockey match here on Thursday.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh (30′, 33′) scored an important double for India, while the team gave it their all to make this feat happen. Winning the quarterfinal, with just 10-members on the pitch, and then to return from a heartbreak loss in the semifinal against Germany, India showed their grit to end their campaign on the podium.
The opening quarter saw some top-class action by both teams, showcasing their intent to finish on the podium. While both were on-par with each other with the ball possession, India looked more dominant with fierce attacking structure. They created early chances through some handy work by Hardik Singh, finding gaps in the left flank, setting up Sukhjeet in the center of the D. The young forward pulled a powerful shot but was deflected wide. Almost immediately, a quick-fire shot came from the left flank by Gurjant Singh but was well-saved. This was perhaps the best chance for goal out of the nine circle entries India made in the opening quarter while their defence allowed Spain into their circle just twice.
Only minutes into the second quarter, India were put on the backfoot when they conceded a penalty stroke. Perhaps not the start Sreejesh was looking for in his farewell match as Marc Miralles broke no sweat in converting the stroke. Despite the 0-1 setback early in the second quarter, India showed great intent to score and get on level terms with Spain. Indian fans rallied behind their teams with chants of “India- India” only growing louder in the stadium. The team was able to finally convert, when they won the second PC of the match in the 30th minute, only seconds before the half-time hooter. It was Captain Harmanpreet Singh who lived up to the billing with a stunning dragflick.
With an equaliser in their kitty, India looked more positive as they entered into the third quarter. They took a crucial 2-1 lead in the 33rd minute when Harmanpreet struck a splendid goal, thus taking his individual score in the tournament to an impressive 10.
The Men in Blue built on the momentum from their second goal, dominating the ball possession to up the ante. They created another PC in the 36th minute, but could not convert. The following few minutes got feisty with India finding a couple of more opportunities to extend their lead but Spain’s defenders particularly Ignacio Rodriguez were up to the task to stop India from taking a formidable lead in the third quarter.
Only 15 minutes away from a historic Bronze medal, India really had to hold on to their nerves. The play slowed down a bit, with India dropping pace in their attack. They played carefully, not making any hasty moves while Spanish attackers showed their desperation to score an equaliser.
Every single Indian player on the pitch was vigilant, not allowing any errors. With the clock ticking away, Marc Miralles helped Spain win a PC in the crucial moments. With one minute and 26 seconds on the clock, India did brilliantly well with Sreejesh getting a beautiful deflection. The drama didn’t end there with Spain taking a referral to check dangerous play after Sreejesh’s deflection went high up. To Indian fans’ relief, Spain lost the referral but it didn’t end there.
With 44 seconds left, Spain managed another PC. Sreejesh makes a flying effort to make the save. Though Spain won a re-take, they fumbled and India did extremely well to give it their all to clinch another historic medal, a hard-earned one in this Olympic Games.
