The Indian men’s hockey team beat Spain 2-1 on Thursday to win back-to-back bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The win also gave a befitting farewell to legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh who played his last international hockey match on Thursday.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh (30’, 33’) scored an important brace for India, to overcome the team going down by a goal in the second quarter.
The opening quarter saw some top-class action by both teams, showcasing their intent to finish on the podium. While both were on-par with each other with the ball possession, India looked more dominant with fierce attacking structure. They created early chances through some handy work by Hardik Singh, finding gaps in the left flank, setting up Sukhjeet in the center of the D.
The young forward pulled a powerful shot but it was deflected wide. Almost immediately, a quick-fire shot came from the left flank by Gurjant Singh but was well-saved. This was perhaps the best chance for goal out of the nine circle entries India made in the opening quarter while their defence allowed Spain into their circle just twice.
Only minutes into the second quarter, India were put on the backfoot when they conceded a penalty stroke. Perhaps not the start Sreejesh was looking for in his farewell match as Marc Miralles broke no sweat in converting the stroke.
Despite the 0-1 setback early in the second quarter, India showed great intent to score and get on level terms with Spain. The team was able to finally convert, when they won the second PC of the match in the 30th minute, only seconds before the half-time hooter. It was Harmanpreet Singh who lived up to the billing with a stunning dragflick.
With an equaliser, India looked more positive as they entered into the third quarter. They took a crucial 2-1 lead in the 33rd minute when Harmanpreet Singh scored from another penalty corner, taking his individual score in the tournament to an impressive 10.
The Indians built on the momentum from their second goal, dominating the ball possession to up the ante. They created another PC in the 36th minute, but could not convert. The following few minutes got feisty with India finding a couple of more opportunities to extend their lead but Spain’s defenders, particularly Ignacio Rodriguez, were up to the task to stop India from taking a formidable lead in the third quarter.
Only 15 minutes away from a bronze medal, India really had to hold on to their nerves. The play slowed down a bit, with India dropping pace in their attack. They played carefully, not making any hasty moves while Spanish attackers showed their desperation to score an equaliser.
Every single Indian player on the pitch was vigilant, not allowing any errors. With the clock ticking away, Miralles helped Spain win a PC in the crucial moments. With one minute and 26 seconds on the clock, India did brilliantly well with Sreejesh getting a beautiful deflection. The drama didn’t end there with Spain taking a referral to check dangerous play after Sreejesh’s save went high up, but the ruling was in India’s favour.
With 44 seconds left, Spain managed another PC. Sreejesh makes a flying effort to make the save. Though Spain won a re-take, they fumbled and India did well to get the ball away and earn a second consecutive bronze medal at the Olympics.
