[Watch] Indian men's hockey team receives bronze medal following 2-1 victory over Spain at Paris Olympics 2024
The Indian men’s hockey team jubilantly celebrated on the podium after collecting their second consecutive Olympic medal at the Paris 2024 Summer Games. On a blistering afternoon at the Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium on Thursday, August 8, India showed exceptional resilience to edge out Spain 2-1 in a nail-biting third-place match.
The team stood tall on the podium after showing great skills in defense and attack. The players and the staff were pictured in cheerful smiles as they celebrated the landmark achievement at the Paris Olympics 2024. The Netherlands defeated Germany to win the gold medal.
Watch the video as the Indian men's hockey team receives bronze on the podium:
Indian men's hockey team shows resilience against Spain at Paris Olympics 2024
The game started cautiously, with both teams probing each other’s defenses. Spain struck first when Marc Miralles converted a penalty stroke in the 18th minute, putting India on the back foot. Spain nearly extended their lead when Borja Lacalle’s shot hit the goalpost, but India held their ground.
As the first half neared its end, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh leveled the score with a powerful penalty corner, boosting the team’s morale. Harmanpreet, who also scored in India’s bronze medal match at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, once again showed his class by putting India ahead just three minutes into the second half. His second goal was a deceptive drag-flick to the bottom left corner, showcasing his excellent skill and ability to stay calm under pressure.
The Spaniards hit back hard but the Indian goalie, PR Sreejesh, matched the challenge by keeping their attacks at bay through several critical saves in the game's dying moments, thus safeguarding India's lead.
Certainly, it was an outstanding end to Sreejesh's celebrated career as he played an important role in securing India's victory for a third-place podium finish. Last month, he said the Paris Olympics would be his last international tournament.
Harmanpreet's leadership skills were crucial to India's third-place finish. Also, his scoring prowess was paramount to the Indian men's hockey team. His 10 goals throughout the tournament deserve massive credit, as he scored for two-thirds of India's total goals, highlighting how central he was to the feat achieved by the team.