Prachi Mishra, Pune
Hockey is the national sport of India and it’s a moment of immense pride for the entire nation that India stands at the No. 1 position in the tally of highest medals at the Olympics in the sports field of Hockey. Critics are of the viewpoint that this Indian men’s team which displayed immense grit and passion on the field were undoubtedly the best Hockey team from India in recent years.
The Indian Hockey team has managed to secure 8 Olympic gold medals. But, the last gold medal came in the year 1980. And, then the team could not win any medals till the Tokyo Olympics, 2020. Though, India won their place in the semi-finals this year but lost their match against Germany with a score margin. The team then competed for the bronze medal in the match against Spain.
India won the match, with captain Harmanpreet scoring both goals. The winning squad was whole-heartedly welcomed at the Amritsar Airport. Families and fans were all present to greet them with benedictions and garlands. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann declared prize money of 1 crore Rs to every single sportsperson in the team. The entire team then went to pay their reverence at the Golden Temple. While engaging with the media later, Indian Men’s Hockey contingent captain Harmanpreet Singh said that the entire team is looking forward to changing the colour of the medal at the next Olympics.
The Indian men’s Hockey team player, Lalit Upadhyay, who was part of the winning squad said that although it’s a big moment for us and the entire nation that we won back-to-back bronze medals at the pinnacle tournament, our wait will only end with a gold medal in hand. Further talking about the golden era of Hockey in India, he mentioned that when they defeated Australia, a different level of confidence surged in the entire team. And, even with the match against Germany, they were the stronger side at many times.
PR Sreejesh, 36, who has now featured in four summer games, announced his retirement after winning the bronze medal at this year’s Olympics. He has also been named as the co-flag bearer alongside Manu Bhaker for the closing ceremony.