India Wins Bronze in Hockey at Paris Olympics
Gurjant Singh Celebrates Victory
New Delhi, India – Hockey player Gurjant Singh expressed his happiness about the renewed interest in hockey among Indians. The Indian team arrived at New Delhi Airport on Saturday morning, celebrating their bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Spain.
Gurjant Singh said, “Interest in hockey has revived, we received strong support from people in India, and a significant number of spectators from Paris also came out to support us.”
The team’s success has revitalized interest in hockey, and they are determined to build on this momentum. Gurjant Singh added, “Winning back-to-back medals in the Olympics is not a small thing. We will make sure that the color of the medal will change in the future.”
This win marked a historic moment as India secured back-to-back Olympic bronze medals for the first time in 52 years, since the 1972 Munich Games. Coach Craig Fulton’s team created history, with Harmanpreet Singh’s two goals and PR Sreejesh’s exceptional saves securing the medal. Gurjant Singh also acknowledged the considerable support from the Indian government.
Earlier on Thursday, a brace from captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh’s effortless saves secured a bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics with a 2-1 win over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium. Sreejesh, who was playing his last game for India, was filled with emotions as the team celebrated this momentous occasion in India’s hockey history.
Under coach Craig Fulton, India created history and secured back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics. Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (30′, 33′) were enough to win the match. For Spain, Marc Miralles (18′) was the sole goal scorer. India had an upper edge in their head-to-head record against Spain at the Olympics, having defeated the Spanish side seven times in their ten meetings.
Emotions were high, with India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh playing his final international game. He was given the title of ‘God of Indian Modern Hockey’ by Hockey India before the bronze medal game. With chants of ‘India’ echoing throughout the stadium, India tried to break through Spain’s defense in the first quarter. Despite several attempts, the first quarter ended goalless.
The game opened up in the second quarter when Manpreet tackled Gerard Clapes inside the D, leading to a penalty stroke for Spain. Spanish captain Marc Miralles converted the opportunity, giving Spain a 1-0 lead. Spain continued to dominate, but India equalized before the second quarter ended with a penalty corner converted by Harmanpreet Singh.
India took the lead in the third quarter with another penalty corner converted by Harmanpreet Singh. Spain thought they had equalized in the final minute of the third quarter, but the goal was disallowed due to a handball. In the final quarter, Spain continued to search for an equalizer, but India held on to their lead. In the final 40 seconds, Spain got a penalty corner, but Sreejesh made a flying save to secure the bronze medal for India.
Doubts Revealed
Bronze -: Bronze is a type of medal given to the third-place winner in a competition. It is made of a metal that looks like a mix of gold and silver.
Hockey -: Hockey is a sport where players use sticks to hit a ball into the other team’s goal. It is very popular in India.
Paris Olympics -: The Paris Olympics is a big sports event held in Paris, France, where athletes from many countries compete in different sports.
Gurjant Singh -: Gurjant Singh is a player in the Indian hockey team. He was very happy when India won the bronze medal.
Spain -: Spain is a country in Europe. In this context, it is the team that India defeated to win the bronze medal in hockey.
52 years -: 52 years is a long time. It means that India has not won back-to-back bronze medals in the Olympics for 52 years.
Coach Craig Fulton -: Craig Fulton is the coach of the Indian hockey team. A coach is someone who trains and guides the players.
Harmanpreet Singh -: Harmanpreet Singh is another player in the Indian hockey team. He scored one of the goals in the match.
PR Sreejesh -: PR Sreejesh is the goalkeeper of the Indian hockey team. He made important saves to help the team win.
Final game -: Final game means the last game that PR Sreejesh played before retiring. He was very emotional because it was his last match.
Indian government support -: The Indian government helped the hockey team by providing money and resources. This support was important for the team’s success.
