Indian Hockey Team Aims for Gold at 2028 LA Olympics After Paris Bronze Win
New Delhi [India], August 10: Indian men’s hockey defender Jarmanpreet Singh shared that head coach Craig Fulton has transformed the team’s play style since his arrival. The team aims to change their Olympic medal color to gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
After winning the bronze medal in men’s hockey at the Paris Olympics 2024, the Indian men’s hockey team arrived at New Delhi Airport on Saturday morning. Jarmanpreet mentioned that Craig, who joined as head coach in March 2023, has been instrumental in providing insights about other teams and players. He emphasized the team’s desire to win gold for their nation.
“We wanted to win the gold, but whatever had to happen, happened, as per god’s wishes. After the arrival of a new coach, we have been doing great and brought about change in our hockey. You must have watched his interviews, heard about his thinking. He gives us information about other teams and their players, which helps us a lot. We would be going to the LA 2028 Olympics to change the colour of our medal to gold. This is our plan always,” said Jarmanpreet.
Midfielder Rajkumar Pal, another key player in the bronze medal-winning team, expressed gratitude for the support from their countrymen and the central government. He noted the team’s improvement and confidence in beating any team.
“We have been getting a lot of love from our country. We had won the bronze at Tokyo and wanted to change the colour of our medal. We played well in the final and lost to Germany. It was not our day. The Indian government has supported us a lot. We expected to win the gold though. In the next Olympics, we would like to win the gold for our country. Our game has improved, we have confidence and belief that we can beat any team,” said Rajkumar.
Earlier on Thursday, a brace from skipper Harmanpreet Singh and saves by PR Sreejesh secured a 2-1 win over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium, earning India the bronze medal. Playing in an electrifying atmosphere, the Indian team added a fourth medal to their tally at the Paris Olympics, overcoming a 0-1 deficit after the first quarter. Sreejesh, who was playing his last game for India, was overcome with emotion as the rest of the team joined him to celebrate this momentous occasion in Indian hockey history.
India won consecutive bronze hockey medals for the first time in 52 years, since the 1972 Munich Games. Under the guidance of coach Craig Fulton, India made history by securing back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics. Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (30′, 33′) were enough to seal the victory. Marc Miralles (18′) was the lone goal-scorer for Spain. India had an upper hand in their head-to-head record against Spain at the Olympics, winning seven out of their ten meetings. Emotions ran high with India’s goalkeeper, PR Sreejesh playing his final international game. He was honoured with the title of the ‘God of Indian Modern Hockey’ by Hockey India before the bronze medal game.
Doubts Revealed
LA Olympics -: The LA Olympics refers to the Olympic Games that will be held in Los Angeles, USA, in 2028. The Olympics is a big sports event where athletes from many countries compete in different sports.
Paris Olympics -: The Paris Olympics refers to the Olympic Games that will be held in Paris, France, in 2024. It’s a major international sports event that happens every four years.
Jarmanpreet Singh -: Jarmanpreet Singh is a player in the Indian men’s hockey team. He plays as a defender, which means he helps stop the other team from scoring goals.
Craig Fulton -: Craig Fulton is the head coach of the Indian men’s hockey team. A coach is someone who trains and guides the players to perform better.
Rajkumar Pal -: Rajkumar Pal is a midfielder in the Indian men’s hockey team. A midfielder plays both defense and offense, helping the team in many ways.
PR Sreejesh -: PR Sreejesh is a famous Indian hockey player known for being a great goalkeeper. He was honored as the ‘God of Indian Modern Hockey’ for his excellent performance.
Bronze Medal -: A bronze medal is an award given to the third-place winner in a competition. In the Olympics, it means the team or athlete came third in their event.
Consecutive -: Consecutive means one after the other without any break. Here, it means India won bronze medals in two Olympics in a row.
