S.Kannan in Paris
This Indian hockey team continued its dream run by winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, pipping Spain 2-1 in the playoff on Thursday. At the Yves De Manoir Stadium, Indians inside the arena wept in joy and cheered PR Sreejesh, as almost the entire team piled on top of him after the final hooter. This was his last match, his last hurrah, and the goalkeeper had every reason to cry.
As the team took a victory lap, carrying Sreejesh on their shoulders, Hockey India president, Dilip Tirkey, got emotional. “This medal is so important for us,” he told RevSportz. As one who has seen the highs and lows in Indian hockey, Tirkey was almost choking and just about held back tears.
What a match and what style India adopted against a hardy Spanish team! There used to be a time when European sides would make life tough for India. However, nowadays the Indians don’t play the pyramid formation of 5-3-2-1. Hiring coaches from abroad, first Graham Reid, who guided India to a bronze in Tokyo and now Craig Fulton as the chief coach, Indian hockey is in robust shape.
Even though Hardik Singh was marked tightly by the Spaniards on the right flank, India excelled in controlling the midfield and their ball distribution was effective. Yet, to not see field goal opportunities was proof of how important penalty-corners are these days. India used to be weak in this area some time ago. Not any longer. With Amit Rohidas back in the side, the penalty-corner exercises were better drilled.
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Breaking: India holds onto their bronze, adding a 4th medal to the nation’s tally at #Paris2024. @RohanDC98 reviews India’s spirited clash with Spain.@ThumsUpOfficial#IndianHockey #Paris2024 #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/R4PqPNf9fy
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) August 8, 2024
And for India, Harmanpreet Singh was again the king, scoring a brace, to take his tally to 10 goals in this Olympics. Such dominance is rare and he soaked in the pressure right from the first match. It was not in scoring alone that the captain made a difference. His work in the back-line, where he had Jarmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh and Rohidas for company, made the defence a wall which could not be breached.
Early in the second quarter, there was palpable tension for India, as Spain took the lead. Manpreet committed a foul and the umpire awarded a penalty-stroke. Marc Miralles converted it.
After that goal, what stood out was India’s effective playing style minus any frills. They did not indulge in individual ball play, which used to be a bane of the teams of the past. Indeed, if the heroes are the players, a big round of applause should go to coach Fulton as well. In less than 11 months, he ensured that India won the Asian Games gold and the bronze medal in Paris 2024.
Also Read: Two Harmanpreet strikes beat Spain as Sreejesh signs off with another bronze medal