41-Year Wait for Olympic medal ends here, Indian Men’s Hockey Team Beats Germany to Win Bronze
New Delhi: A resolute Indian men’s hockey team rewrote history as it claimed an Olympic medal after 41 years, defeating a plucky Germany 5-4 to win the bronze in an edge-of-the-seat play-off match. India won their first Olympic hockey medal since Moscow 1980 with a display for the ages, recovering from 1-3 down to hold off Germany 5-4 in a thriller and take the bronze in the Tokyo 2020 men’s event.
The Indian men’s hockey team has now won 12 hockey medals at the Olympics – eight golds, one silver, and three bronze. It was India’s second medal in Tokyo after their gold at the 1964 Games.
On Thursday, Simranjeet Singh (17th and 34th minutes) and Harmanpreet Singh (27th and 29th) scored braces each while Rupinder Pal Singh (31st) slotted in a penalty stroke for India.
Timor Oruz (2nd), Niklas Wellen (24th), Benedikt Fürk (25th) and Lukas Windfeder (48th) scored for Germany.
Their stirringly swift comeback through Harmanpreet’s clutch drag-flicking was the final marker of just how far this Indian team, coached by Graham Reid, has progressed in recent years.
PM Modi congratulated Team India for winning the medal in Tokyo Olympics. PM tweeted that “Historic! A day that will be etched in the memory of every Indian. Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for bringing home the Bronze. With this feat, they have captured the imagination of the entire nation, especially our youth. India is proud of our Hockey team.”
Historic! A day that will be etched in the memory of every Indian.
Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for bringing home the Bronze. With this feat, they have captured the imagination of the entire nation, especially our youth. India is proud of our Hockey team. 🏑
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 5, 2021
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Aditya Nath also tweeted.
आज टोक्यो ओलंपिक में भारतीय पुरुष हॉकी टीम ने ऐतिहासिक प्रदर्शन कर कांस्य पदक जीता है। आज की सफलता ने भारतीय हॉकी के इतिहास में एक स्वर्णिम अध्याय को जोड़ा है।
'टीम इंडिया' की इस अविस्मरणीय उपलब्धि पर पूरे देश को गर्व है।
हार्दिक बधाई 'टीम इंडिया'।
जय हिन्द!
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) August 5, 2021
