Hockey: India script best group stage performance in 49 years
The Indian men’s hockey team ended the group stage with an impressive5-3 win against hosts Japan
India wrapped up their group stage in men’s hockey at Tokyo 2020 on a high as they defeated hosts Japan 5-3 on Friday. The result once again confirmed their resurgence on the world stage in a sport they once ruled.
The ‘Men in Blue’ sit second in Group A with four wins and a loss in their five matches. They finished behind Australia, the only team to beat them in the competition so far. The 12 competing teams are split into two groups and the top four from each group qualify for the quarterfinals.
India’s win on Friday also meant they had registered four wins in the group stage for the first time since Munich 1972 where they won a bronze. Even though India did win a gold medal at Moscow 1980, only five teams had competed in the men’s hockey event in that edition.
In 1972, hockey was a more elaborate affair with 16 teams, split into two groups, competing for the big prize. India had topped Group B with five wins and two draws in their seven matches. They went on to lose 2-0 against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semifinal. But India bounced back, beating Netherlands 2-1 to clinch the bronze.
Since then, the Indian team has not been impressive at the start of the tournament. Before Tokyo 2020, the last time they won three matches in the group phase was way back at Los Angeles 1984. The low point was at London 2012, when they failed to win any of their five group matches.
The Indian team, under coach Graham Reid, is keen to regain some of the lost lustre. They had come well prepared for the Tokyo heat, training in draining conditions during the afternoon during the national camp in Bangalore.
Indian teams have traditionally flagged off in the dying minutes in hockey, to conceded crucial goals to their opponents. But India have been relentless from start to finish in the tournament so far.
They were outclassed 1-7 by Australia in the second match of their campaign. But they shook off that defeat and won three matches on the trot, including those against reigning Olympic champions Argentina and reigning Asian Games champions Japan, to storm into the quarterfinals.
Harmanpreet Singh (13th minute), Gurjant Singh (17th minute, 57th minute), Shamser Singh (34th minute) and Nilakanta Sharma (51st minute) were the goal scorers for India against Japan. The team finished the group phase with a goal difference of +2.
On Sunday, India will take on Great Britain in the last eight, hoping to seal a semifinal berth.