Bhubaneswar: The Indian Men’s Hockey team beat Spain 2-1 and won the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics today making all Indians, especially people of Odisha very proud.
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.
“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.”
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.
PR Sreejesh contributed to the win with two gutsy saves in the final two minutes of his storied international hockey career.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and former CM Naveen Patnaik congratulated the Indian hockey team for the victory and prestigious medal.
Taking to X, the Chief Minister said, “Many congratulations and best wishes to the Indian Hockey team for winning the bronze medal by defeating Spain 2-1 at the Olympics. This victory is a matter of pride and glory for crores of Indians. Jai Hind.”
“Congratulate #IndianHockey Team on winning consecutive bronze medals in #Olympics after so many decades. The Indian team’s historic medal at #ParisOlympics2024 has swelled every Indian’s heart in pride.
“It is also a deeply emotional moment for me personally. May this bring back the halcyon days for hockey, bringing more and more laurels for the country. Best wishes,” Shri Patnaik, who was the first chief minister in India to sponsor hockey in 2018, said in a post on X.
Odisha is the official sponsor of Indian hockey teams of both men and women since 2018. First the sponsorship was announced for five years, then it was extended till 2036 in two phases.