The Indian hockey team has accomplished the unimaginable by securing third place and earning India’s fourth bronze medal at the Olympics in Paris. The Indian Hockey side has defeated Spain by a score of 2-1.
The Indian hockey team won back-to-back medals in the Olympics for the first time since 1972 on Thursday after defeating Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal game at the Yves de Manoir Stadium of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Reacting to this glory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “A feat that will be cherished for generations to come! The Indian Hockey team shines bright at the Olympics, bringing home the Bronze Medal! This is even more special because it is their second consecutive Medal at the Olympics. Their success is a triumph of skill, perseverance and team spirit. They showed immense grit and resilience. Congratulations to the players. Every Indian has an emotional connect with Hockey and this accomplishment will make the sport even more popular among the youth of our nation.”
After trailing the whole game, India rallied to win behind a brace from Harmanpreet Singh, giving them their record-tying 13th Olympic hockey medal.
Both sides played equally well in the game’s first two quarters, with the first and second quarter scores being 0-0 and 1-1, respectively. India went ahead with a 2-1 score only in the third quarter.
Sreejesh: The Hockey Legend
Sreejesh was born on 8 May 1988, in Kizhakkambalam village, in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, to P. V. Raveendran and Usha, a family of farmers. He finished his primary schooling at Kizhakkambalam’s St. Antony’s Lower Primary School before continuing to the sixth grade at Kizhakkambalam’s St. Joseph’s High School. He began training as a sprinter in his school days then progressed to volleyball and long jump.
In a 2004 Perth match against Australia, Sreejesh was called up to the junior national team. In 2006, he made his senior national team debut in Colombo during the South Asian Games. He received the title of “Best Keeper of the Tournament” after India’s victory at the 2008 Junior Asia Cup. He played a key role in India’s gold medal victory at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, when he stopped two penalty shots against Pakistan in the championship match.
After Sardar Singh stepped down as captain of the Indian hockey team on July 13, 2016, Sreejesh had assumed the role. Sreejesh guided the Indian hockey team to the tournament’s quarterfinals in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
With this victory and India’s incredible accomplishment of winning consecutive hockey bronze medals for the first time in 52 years, PR Sreejesh has decided to retire on a high note.
“Some decisions are hard, but making decisions at the right time makes things more beautiful,” he smiled. In his final international match, Sreejesh made a stunning save in the final quarter to seal India’s 2-1 win over Spain.
His outstanding efforts in hockey have played a significant role in improving India’s hockey standing internationally and he leaves a legacy of commitment and tenacity. Sreejesh’s career comes to an end with a moment of pride for the country and for him as he departs the field.
The Expert Captain
The Indian hockey squad is now led by Harmanpreet Singh, a highly acclaimed drag flicker, for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He participated in his third Olympics. Singh played for India at the Rio Olympics in 2016 after making his senior debut against Japan in 2015. Among his greatest achievements were helping India to win a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games, a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Harmanpreet Singh, who finished the campaign with 11 goals, including two in the championship, stated that the team’s objective was to bring gold. Even though they nearly made it to the finals, he remarked that winning gold was not in their destiny. While acknowledging that Indian hockey is growing, he also expressed regret to the country for not taking home the gold this time.
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