Paris, France: The Indian team, led by skipper Harmanpreet Singh and supported by PR Sreejesh's remarkable saves, clinched a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics with a 2-1 victory over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium on Friday.
In the midst of an electrifying atmosphere, the Indian squad added a fourth medal to their collection at the Paris Olympics, overcoming a deficit of 0-1 after the first quarter.
Sreejesh, who was playing his final international match for India, descended to the ground, overwhelmed with emotions, and was soon joined by his teammates to commemorate this historic moment in Indian hockey.
India secured their first consecutive bronze medals at the Olympics in 52 years since the 1972 Munich Games.
Under the guidance of coach Craig Fulton, India etched their names in history, achieving back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics. Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (30', 33') were instrumental in securing India's victory. For Spain, Marc Miralles (18') was the sole scorer.
India maintained a commanding lead in their head-to-head record against Spain at the Olympics, having defeated the Spanish team seven times out of their ten meetings.
Emotions were at an all-time high as Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh played his last international match. He was honored with the title of the 'God of Indian Modern Hockey' by Hockey India prior to the bronze medal game.
With the crowd's chants of 'India' reverberating throughout the stadium, India sought to unravel Spain's defense at the beginning of the first quarter.
India seized the first opportunity in the bronze medal match after Hardik sent the ball to Sukhjeet, who missed the goal.
Jose Maria Basterra spearheaded Spain's attack, keeping the Indian team on their toes. In the ninth minute, he managed to force a save from Sreejesh at the near post.
India posed formidable challenges to Spain's defense, yet Spain effectively countered each attack. The referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of a goalless first quarter.
The game began to unfold in the second quarter after Manpreet intercepted Gerard Clapes' pass inside the D, leading to a penalty stroke for Spain.
Spanish captain Marc Miralles stepped up to convert the penalty, scoring with a top-corner finish.
With a 1-0 lead, Spain continued to dominate the second quarter with their possession game. Basterra had an opportunity to extend Spain's lead, but he failed to capitalize on the two penalty corner opportunities.
India had another chance at the goal after Jarmanpreet intercepted the aerial ball and passed it to Lalit. He aimed for glory but was unable to score.
Spain fought back, and three minutes later, Lacalle missed the opportunity to extend Spain's lead narrowly.
India was met with a challenge from Spain, who had initially taken the lead, but managed to equalize before the second quarter commenced. Captain Harmanpreet Singh capitalized on a penalty corner with his distinctive drag flick, orchestrating a pass to both Calzado and Rodriguez, thereby restoring the scoreline to a 1-1 draw.
India subsequently took the lead for the first time in the match during the third quarter. This was followed by another penalty corner for India, during which Harmanpreet Singh once again demonstrated his prowess by converting the opportunity, thereby extending India's lead to 2-1.
Just two minutes later, Harmanpreet was presented with yet another opportunity to score. However, despite the chance, he was unable to convert the penalty corner.
A significant moment for Spain occurred when Bonastre was injured and had to be substituted, marking a significant setback for the team.
In the concluding minutes of the third quarter, Spain believed they had leveled the score. However, during the ensuing play, the ball came into contact with Marc Recasens, resulting in the goal being disallowed.
As the match neared its conclusion, Spain persisted in their quest for an equalizer, while India maintained their defensive stance, securing their lead. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric as the Indian fans, known for their fervor, exerted pressure on Spain's defense, albeit with limited success. In the final moments, Spain was awarded a penalty corner, offering them a chance to equalize. However, Sreejesh made an impressive save, securing India's bronze medal victory.
