‘Chak De’ moment for Indian hockey

Tokyo, Aug 05 (PTI): 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 of the ongoing Games here on Thursday.
The eight-time former gold-winners, who battled a heartbreaking slump in the last four decades, made the resurgence of the last couple of years count in the best way possible with an Olympic medal.
Their bronze, which is worth its weight in gold for the sheer emotion and nostalgia that hockey invokes in the country, became India’s fifth medal at the ongoing Games.
Simranjeet Singh (17th, 34th minutes) scored a brace, while Hardik Singh (27th), Harmanpreet Singh (29th) and Rupinder Pal Singh (31st) were the other goal-getters for world no.3 India.
Germany’s goals were scored by Timur Oruz (2nd), Niklas Wellen (24th), Benedikt Furk (25th) and Lukas Windfeder (48th).
Determined to clinch a medal, the Indians made one of the most memorable comebacks in the history of the game, fighting back from a two-goal deficit to turn the match in their favour after being 1-3 down thanks to some defensive lapses.
There were tears and hugs on the field as the Indians led by Manpreet Singh and coached by Australian Graham Reid savoured the historic moment.
It is India’s third hockey bronze medal in the history of the Olympics. The other two came in 1968 Mexico City and the 1972 Munich Games. In all, the country now has 12 Olympic medals, eight of them gold, making it the most successful at the showpiece.
For world no.5 Germany it was heart-break as they couldn’t repeat their bronze medal winning feat of the 2016 Rio Games.

It’s a rebirth, that’s it: Sreejesh on Olympic bronze medal win
“It’s a rebirth, that’s it,” declared India’s ecstatic goalkeeping great P R Sreejesh after emerging as one of the stars of the men’s hockey team’s historic Olympic bronze medal here, confident that the feat will help produce a new generation of capable players. The 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 here. “It’s been 41 years. In the 1980s we won the last medal and after that, nothing. Today when we won it, this gives a boost and gives energy to the youngsters to pick up hockey, play this game,” the 35-year-old Sreejesh said after the match. “This is a beautiful game. Now we are giving a reason for them to pick up hockey, play the game.” “I was prepared for everything today because this 60 minutes is like anything. I’m playing hockey for the last 21 years and I just said to myself one thing: ‘Take the experience of 21 years, just play that 60 minutes’. “Even for the last penalty corner I said the same thing: ‘Sree, you worked hard for the last 21 years and this is what you want to do now, that one save’. I did it, and we are on the podium now.”