- The Indian sports-loving connoisseurs and fans alike would be delighted with the outcome of the hockey team winning a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics by showcasing some of the finest skills along the way. Hockey as a game is a fast-paced exhilarating display of supreme skills, superb endurance, tremendous stamina, and painfully developed synchronicity of gamesmanship built with a rare camaraderie over a long period of sustained training. For that matter, any team sport must invariably contain these characteristic traits to develop into a phenomenon that positions the fighting unit into a force to reckon with. Of course, Indian hockey is always considered competitive but had gone off the radar a bit some years back. It’s in the past though.
PC: India TV News
- Thankfully, concerted efforts from the Hockey Federation of India and admirable support extended in particular by the Odisha government have ensured the national sport progresses on the right path. When the Indian hockey team won a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, it was hailed as a resurgence of sorts for the game in the country. However, leading up to the Paris Olympics, the team faltered several times despite having gained momentum from the previous famous win. Most hearteningly, the way the team went about showcasing their skills leading up to the semifinals was a magnificent sight. Defeating some of the more fancied teams like Australia, Great Britain, and Spain proves that our team is quite living up to its expectations.
- Let’s delve further to understand how our campaign panned out in Paris. Look not far from captain Harmanpreet Singh and the retired goalie Sreejesh who best exemplifies the spirit of our bronze-winning hockey team. For the uninitiated, forty-four years ago in Moscow, India prevailed over Spain 4-3 in a nerve-jangling final to claim its eighth Olympic gold. The two sides were contesting for a different metal in Paris recently. But nothing seemed to have changed. The intensity, the nerves, the desperation – everything was evident once more as Harmanpreet Singh-led India won 2-1 in another pulse-pounding game. For the second time in a row, India has won the bronze in the Olympics, and this one couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
PC: UWW
- We know how India has endured a string of misses and misfortune in Paris. There have been more fourth-spot finishes than ever before, not to forget the tragic disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a national heartbreak. The bronze, coming after a week without medals, will bring a degree of joy to millions invested in the national sport. Teamwork was the key to India’s victory. In every match, every member played his heart out. Defeating Great Britain, despite playing with 10 men for the larger part of the game, says a lot about the team’s commitment. Had they converted their chances and displayed more self-belief, India might have even defeated Germany in the semis. Well done hockey team for reviving the interest in the game in India.
