Hockey
Tokyo Olympics: Hockey LIVE — India loses to Belgium in semi-finals, will play for bronze
Welcome to our Live Blog coverage of the Men's Hockey Semi final between India and Belgium
India on the verge of history (Source: Getty)
The Belgians first played an Olympic Games when Antwerp hosted the competition in 1920. Interestingly, the Belgians also won an Olympic medal in hockey even before the Indians did as India were not part of the 1920 Antwerp Games. Four teams competed and Belgium won the bronze medal before the Indians began their six-gold streak from 1928.
In 1928, the Indians thrashed Belgium 9-0 in the group stage and though the Belgians never reached the podium, they kept competing until the 1976 Games in Montreal but went off the Olympic radar for a good 32 years to return in Beijing 2008. Ten years after their reentry, the Belgian Red Lions stunned the hockey world by winning the Olympic silver in Rio.
Now, its a bigger stage than ever before. It's an Olympic semifinal which India has reached for the first time since Munich 1972, hoping to make it to the finals for the first time since 1980 (The Moscow Games did not have a semifinal).
FOLLOW LIVE:
Live Updates
- 3 Aug 2021 1:26 AM GMT
THE INDIANS IN BLUE AT THE OI HOCKEY STADIUM
MANPREET AND CO. SING THE ANTHEM WITH VIGOUR AS THE ACTION IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE!!!!
- 3 Aug 2021 1:13 AM GMT
Here is how our lineup looks like for our Semi-Final match against Belgium. 🔥
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 3, 2021
Drop a 💙 to wish them luck. #INDvBEL #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #Tokyo2020 #TeamIndia #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey pic.twitter.com/8xxMmsxZzV - 3 Aug 2021 1:10 AM GMT
DID YOU KNOW????
FOUR-TIME OLYMPIAN JOHN-JOHN DOMHMEN PLAYS HIS 409TH INTERNATIONAL TODAY
INDIA SKIPPER MANPREET SINGH HAS 269 INTERNATIONAL CAPS TO HIS NAME
- 3 Aug 2021 12:50 AM GMT
EXPERIENCED BUT NOT AGEING - AS THEY START VERY YOUNG!!!
24 years old and already 100 caps in the national team... This shows how talented Arthur is, a true star of his generation 👏💯
— Belgian Red Lions (@BELRedLions) July 28, 2021
Congratulations Arthur, we hope you will add many more caps with us! 🦁🇧🇪#100caps #Legend #BelRedLions #HockeyLegend pic.twitter.com/JFheuH08xF - 3 Aug 2021 12:48 AM GMT
HISTORY AND THE NUMBERS
INDIA BEAT BELGIUM THRICE IN THE OLYMPICS BEFORE 1976
BELGIUM WON BOTH MATCHES THE TWO TEAMS PLAYED AFTER THE RED LIONS' OLYMPIC RE-ENTRY IN 2008
BELGIUM 3 - INDIA 0 (GROUP MATCH) LONDON 2012
BELGIUM 3 - INDIA 1 (QUARTERFINALS) RIO 2016
- 3 Aug 2021 12:43 AM GMT
We are building up to the first #Hockey men's semi-final game between India and Belgium. #Tokyo2020
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) August 2, 2021
Meet the backbone for both the teams - their goalkeepers -@16Sreejesh and @vincvanasch21 .
Who are you rooting for in this exciting encounter?@tokyo2020 @olympics - 3 Aug 2021 12:42 AM GMT
Here is the head to head record between India and Belgium men at the #Olympics.
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) August 3, 2021
The first #Hockey men's semi-final starts in less than an hour from now! #Tokyo2020 @TheHockeyIndia @BELRedLions @hockeybe - 3 Aug 2021 12:41 AM GMT
MEN WITH THE WHISTLE TODAY!!!
BEN GONTGEN (GERMANY)
COEN VAN BUNGE (NETHERLANDS)
- 3 Aug 2021 12:39 AM GMT
COULDN'T GET ANY CLOSER COULD IT???
THE WORLD NO 2 (BELGIUM) TAKES ON WORLD 3 (INDIA) AT THE OI HOCKEY STADIUM!!!!
THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE AN ABSOLUTE EPIC!!!
