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Olympics 2024: Indian hockey team win 2nd successive medal after 52 years

India's men's hockey team triumphed over Spain 2-1 to secure a second consecutive Olympic bronze.

Olympics 2024: Indian hockey team win 2nd successive medal after 52 years
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Indian hockey team won a bronze medal at the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024. (FILE PHOTO: Olympics)

By

The Bridge Desk

Updated: 8 Aug 2024 2:50 PM GMT

The Indian men’s hockey team beat Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal playoff at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday and won their second success medal at the Games for the first time in 52 years.

India won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, beating Germany 5-4 in the bronze medal playoff in 2021.

This was India's fourth bronze medal in hockey at the Olympics and 13 overall.

The match saw India and Spain engaging in a gripping battle that only intensified as the clock ticked down.

Both teams began cautiously, with Spain holding much of the possession in the first quarter, probing India's defences but unable to make a significant breakthrough.

India's defence, led by the experienced custodian PR Sreejesh, was put to the test early on as Spain's attackers sought to exploit every gap.

The first quarter ended in a stalemate, with neither side able to assert dominance.

The game took a dramatic turn in the second quarter when Spain earned a penalty stroke in the 18th minute, which was expertly converted by March Miralles to give them a 1-0 lead.

India, however, remained undeterred. In the dying moments of the first half, India earned a penalty corner, and Harmanpreet Singh, known for his lethal drag-flicks, delivered a low thunderbolt that left the Spanish goalkeeper Luis Calzado with no chance.

The teams went into halftime with the score level at 1-1.

The third quarter witnessed a resurgent Indian side. Just two minutes into the half, India earned another penalty corner.

Harmanpreet once again stepped up, and his drag flick found the back of the net after a series of deflections, pushing India into a 2-1 lead.

The intensity of the match only grew from this point, with Spain mounting a series of relentless attacks in the Indian circle.

Spain appeared set to equalise, especially during a critical moment when they found the back of the net, only for the goal to be disallowed after a review confirmed a foul in the buildup.

Sreejesh's last dance

Sreejesh, the stalwart in India's goal playing his last match for India, stood like a wall and made crucial saves, particularly during a nerve-wracking phase when Spain earned back-to-back penalty corners in the final minutes of the match.

The fourth quarter was a test of nerves as Spain dominated possession, desperately seeking an equaliser but Sreejesh maintained vigil under the three sticks, commanding his teammates to shuffle their positions.

The Indian defence, however, held firm, with Sreejesh keeping Spanish attacks in check.

As the final hooter blew, the Indian bench erupted in celebration, and the players rejoiced on the field holding Sreejesh down.

This victory is not just a medal win but a tribute to the outstanding goalkeeping of Sreejesh, who bid farewell to hockey.

The win also signified the return of Indian hockey to the global stage, with back-to-back Olympic medals after a 52-year drought. India's last successive medals at the Olympics had come in 1972.

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