India defeated Spain 2-1 to win the bronze medal in men’s hockey for the second time in a row.
Just two days after suffering a devastating loss to Germany in the men’s hockey semi-finals, the Indian hockey team stunned the world by winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. With a 2-1 victory over Spain, Harmanpreet Singh’s team proved to be incredibly resilient and determined, winning their second consecutive bronze medal at the Games. This was India’s fourth bronze medal from the 2024 Olympics.
The team’s performance in the tournament was excellent. India, who defeated Australia’s heavyweights with great style, came in second in their group. Then, in spite of losing a player for more than forty minutes, India defeated Great Britain in a match that will never be forgotten. India’s dreams of winning the gold were dashed by a late goal from Germany, but their spirit of defiance did not waver.
The bronze medal match was a two-hour contest. Spain exerted tremendous energy and control in the first half hour of their match against India. The Indian defence was constantly under pressure from the Spanish team’s aggressive tactics and better possession, and their prompt interceptions upset India’s attackers.
Spain was handed a penalty kick, which came as no surprise. Marc Miralles scored the kick in the eighteenth minute to give Spain a vital early lead.
India came back in the last seconds of the first half, despite the loss. When the ball struck Spanish defender Pepe Cunill’s knee inside the circle during an Indian attempt with just 21 seconds left, India was awarded a penalty corner. Just before halfway, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh tied the score without making a mistake. Singh has been brilliant throughout the Games in converting penalty corners.
India seized the initiative in the second half, their bold strategy paying dividends almost instantly. India took the lead thanks to another penalty corner goal from Harmanpreet, who once again showed his strength.
Spain broke through the Indian circle towards the conclusion of the third quarter, looking to have scored from a penalty corner, but an Indian referral resulted in the goal being reversed. The ball hit Marc Recasens’ hands before entering the net after bouncing off the drag-flicker’s attempt.
Spain persisted in its aggressiveness, opening up several additional doors. But India’s defense held firm and successfully stopped the Spanish assaults. The Indian players continually unsettled their Spanish opponents in the fourth quarter by not only enduring the pressure but also posing serious threats with their counterattacks.
Fitting farewell for Sreejesh
India’s bronze medal match has special significance as it was the last international appearance of PR Sreejesh, their great goalie. The goalie made his debut in 2006 and was a vital member of the squad that placed third in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
India won a total of 13 medals in the Games (8 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze). India’s last two Olympic bronze medals were during the 1968 and 1972 games.
