India Wins Bronze in Hockey at Paris Olympics
Heroic Effort by Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh
Paris, France – August 8: India secured a bronze medal in hockey at the Paris Olympics with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium. The win was led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, who scored twice, and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who made crucial saves in his final game for India.
India was initially down 0-1 after the first quarter, with Spain’s Marc Miralles scoring in the 18th minute. However, Harmanpreet Singh equalized with a penalty corner just before halftime and then scored again early in the third quarter to give India the lead.
Despite Spain’s efforts to equalize, including a disallowed goal and a last-minute penalty corner, India held on to their lead. Sreejesh’s final save in the last 40 seconds ensured the victory and the bronze medal for India.
This win marks India’s fourth medal at the Paris Olympics and their first consecutive bronze medals in hockey since the 1972 Munich Games. The team celebrated emotionally, especially Sreejesh, who was honored as the ‘God of Indian Modern Hockey’ by Hockey India.
Under coach Craig Fulton, India has made history with back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics. The team’s head-to-head record against Spain at the Olympics now stands at seven wins out of ten meetings.
The match was filled with intense moments, including missed opportunities by both teams and a significant injury to Spain’s Bonastre. However, India’s resilience and strategic play led them to a historic win, celebrated by fans with chants of ‘India Jeetega’ echoing throughout the stadium.
Doubts Revealed
Bronze medal -: A bronze medal is a prize given to the person or team that finishes third in a competition. It is made of bronze, which is a type of metal.
Hockey -: Hockey is a sport where two teams try to hit a small ball into the other team’s goal using long sticks. It is very popular in India.
Paris Olympics -: The Paris Olympics is a big sports event where athletes from all over the world come to compete. It is held in Paris, the capital city of France.
Harmanpreet Singh -: Harmanpreet Singh is a famous Indian hockey player. He is the captain of the Indian hockey team and scored two goals in the match.
PR Sreejesh -: PR Sreejesh is a well-known Indian hockey goalkeeper. He made important saves in the game and it was his last match before retiring.
Spain -: Spain is a country in Europe. In this context, it is the team that India played against in the hockey match.
Consecutive -: Consecutive means one after another without any break. Here, it means India won bronze medals in two Olympics in a row.
1972 -: 1972 is a year. It is mentioned here to show the last time India won consecutive bronze medals in hockey.
God of Indian Modern Hockey -: This is a special title given to PR Sreejesh to honor him for his great contributions to Indian hockey.
