India Wins Back-to-Back Olympic Hockey Bronze, Bids Farewell to Sreejesh

The Indian hockey team clinched their second consecutive Olympic bronze medal in Paris, marking a significant achievement after their revival began in Tokyo. Under Harmanpreet Singh's leadership and with the passion of retiring goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, India defeated Spain 2-1 in an intense third-place match. Harmanpreet scored twice from penalty corners in the 30th and 33rd minutes, following Spain's early lead through Marc Miralles' penalty stroke in the 18th minute.

Sreejesh's performance was crucial as he consistently thwarted Spain's attacks, ensuring India's victory. Reflecting on his retirement, Sreejesh shared, "Everyone is asking me, why now? One piece of advice I got in my career is that when you retire people should not say why not?, they should ask you, why? This is the right time to take that course," the 36-year-old Kerala-man told reporters with a smile.

Spain Takes Early Lead

India started aggressively against Spain, dominating possession in the first quarter. Vice-captain Hardik Singh created an early scoring chance for Sukhjeet Singh, whose shot narrowly missed. Spain responded with intensity in the second quarter, taking the lead through Miralles' penalty stroke after Manpreet Singh's foul inside the D.

Despite trailing, India pressed hard and earned their first penalty corner just before halftime. Harmanpreet capitalised on this opportunity, equalising for India. Another penalty corner in the 35th minute saw Harmanpreet's shot blocked by Spain's goalkeeper Luis Calzado.

Defensive Resilience

India's defence remained strong throughout the match. Mandeep Singh's run resulted in another short corner, but Spanish defender Jordi Bonastre blocked it. Sreejesh made a crucial save to maintain India's 2-1 lead until the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Hardik Singh had to leave the field due to a hand injury after colliding with a Spanish player. Despite this setback, India defended well against Spain's attempts to equalise. Three minutes before the final whistle, Spain removed their goalkeeper in a desperate move but failed to score.

Today's bronze medal is a significant boost for the Indian contingent, which has faced multiple fourth-place finishes and the disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat for being overweight. Harmanpreet expressed his mixed emotions, saying, "Our dream was to win a gold medal here, and everyone was trusting us. I would like to say sorry because we could have done it win gold medal; we have missed out on it very closely but this medal is everything for us."

Both Sreejesh and Harmanpreet are among 11 players in the 16-member squad who will return to India as two-time Olympic medallists. The last time India won back-to-back Olympic medals was in 1968 and 1972.

India's journey to this bronze medal included overcoming a heart-wrenching 2-3 defeat to Germany in the semifinal. They came out strong against Spain, creating several scoring opportunities and defending resolutely against multiple penalty corners.

The Indian team's performance ensured that Sreejesh ended his remarkable 18-year career on a high note. His contributions were pivotal in securing this historic achievement for Indian hockey.

This victory not only highlights India's resurgence in hockey but also serves as an inspiration for future generations of players. The team's determination and resilience have brought pride to the nation once again.