Paris 2024 Olympics hockey: India ride Harmanpreet brace against Spain to win bronze medal
The Indian men’s hockey team came from a goal down to beat Spain 2-1 and win the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics and gave a befitting farewell to veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh who played his last International match on Thursday.
Spain took the lead through captain Marc Miralles (18’) but India struck right back through a brace by skipper Harmanpreet Singh (30’, 33’).
The victory at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium saw India secure a record-extending 13th medal in hockey at the Olympics and the second bronze in successive editions.
India, in fact, won successive medals in hockey for the first time since Munich 1972, played 52 years ago.
"I feel great," India hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh said. "We create history again, back-to-back (bronze medals). It's a big day for India and a big day for hockey.
"Today's game was very good. We played as a team. Everyone delivered, especially our legend Sreejesh. It was his last game. It's a memorable game for him, and a big achievement as a team."
Heading into Paris 2024, India were the most successful hockey team in Olympic history with eight gold, one silver and three bronze medals. At Tokyo 2020, the team had broken a 41-year-long medal drought by capturing a historic bronze.
Up against world No. 8 Spain, who upset defending champions Belgium in the quarter-finals, the Indian team, fifth in hockey rankings, began cautiously but slowly grew into the game as it progressed.
From the midway stage of the opening quarter, the Indian hockey team started to launch meaningful forays in the Spanish attacking third but failed to create any clear cut chances. Spain, meanwhile, could only manage a couple of circle penetrations throughout the opening quarter compared to India’s nine.
A couple of minutes into the second quarter, though, it was Spain who took the lead through a penalty stroke. Manpreet Singh’s infringement inside the circle saw the referee point towards the spot and Marc Miralles stepped up to blaze one in the top corner past PR Sreejesh.
The Spain men’s hockey team, looking for their first Olympic medal since a silver at Beijing 2008, got an opportunity to double their advantage as they were awarded two penalty corners shortly after the opening goal.
However, some fantastic rushing by Amit Rohidas, back in the Indian playing line-up after serving a suspension in the semi-finals against Germany, kept the Spanish charge at bay.
Borja Lacalle thought he had Sreejesh beat for the second time in the match but his shot came out off the post and the Indian goalkeeper ensured the resulting penalty corner stayed out.
With less than 15 seconds left for the first-half hooter, India equalised as Harmanpreet Singh successfully converted a penalty corner to register his ninth goal of Paris 2024 and consolidated his position as the top scorer in the tournament.
Harmanpreet drag flicked in his second of the match minutes after the half-time break to give the Indian hockey team the lead for the first time in the match. The Indian skipper had a crack at a hat-trick, again from a penalty corner, shortly after but this time, was thwarted by Spanish custodian Luis Calzado.
Spain managed to get the ball in the Indian net with five minutes to go in the third quarter as Joaquin Menini bundled it in after pouncing on a loose ball following Sreejesh’s fantastic save to keep out Jose Basterra’s penalty corner attempt.
However, the goal was disallowed as replays showed that the ball had come off a Spanish body in the phase of play.
At the other end, Calzado denied India and Harmanpreet again from another penalty corner to keep the difference between the two teams to just one goal heading into the final quarter.
The fourth period turned out to be a feisty affair with both teams getting stuck in. As Spain pushed up in search of the all-important equaliser, the Indian backline had to soak in long spells of pressure to see off the win.
PR Sreejesh contributed to the win with two gutsy saves in the final two minutes of his storied international hockey career.