Paris [France], August 4 : Following Team India's win in the quarterfinals of the men's hockey at the ongoing Paris Olympics, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey lauded the legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh for his superb performance while defending the goal, calling him the 'God of Indian hockey'.
Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian men's hockey team defeated Great Britain in a thrilling quarter-final match at the Paris Olympics and advanced into the semi-final on Sunday. As the score scores were level 1-1 after the end of regulation time, India won the shoot-out 4-2 and made the semi-finals.
Dilip said toafter the match, "He (Sreejesh) made some important saves in the match. Even during the shootouts, he defended the goal with confidence. He has done so well in the past, be it the Olympics, Champions Trophy, Asia Cup etc. He is the god of Indian hockey."
Sreejesh announced ahead of the Paris Olympics that the competition would be his last international outing for India. The 36-year-old's decision to make Paris his final stand has only motivated the Indian National Team to begin their "Win it for Sreejesh" campaign, urging global hockey fans to rally behind the team in their attempt to stand on the podium once again.
Tirkey lauded the team for their superb defensive performance, saying, "In today's match, only 10 players were playing. This is a historic win. It was very difficult to play with 10 players for 45 minutes. I am a player, I know what it is like. We could not attack much and we knew it. Players worked really hard and played well till the last whistle."
On the team's medal chances, Tirkey said, "Everyone, from the players to management, wants to be in the medal tally and win the gold medal."
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}#WATCH | Paris, France: On the Indian team beating Great Britain in the Men's Hockey quarterfinal to enter the semi-finals, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey says, "In today's match, 10 players were playing. This is a historic win. It is very difficult to play with only 10… pic.twitter.com/P71GZp7bnn—(@ANI) August 4, 2024
In the second quarter of the quarter-final match, India took a 1-0 lead after skipper Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner. India had four penalty corner opportunities while Great Britain had five in the second quarter.
Earlier in the second quarter, India's Amit Rohidas was given a red card after he raised his stick and caught opponent William Calnan's head. India played the rest of the match one-man down.
Before half-time, Great Britain's Lee Morton scored the equaliser and gave his side a moment to breathe. In the second half, Great Britain failed to score, despite multiple opportunities.
Meanwhile, in the shoot-out, India scored all four of their attempts. While Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh saved one helping India to move into the semis of the tournament.
Earlier in the previous match, The Indian men's hockey team bounced back in the men's competition with a 3-2 win over Australia in their Pool B match at the ongoing Summer Games.
Two names shined bright on India's scoresheet in the first quarter, with Abhishek (12') and skipper Harmanpreet Singh (13') scoring within a space of two minutes at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. Thomas Craig (25') however, converted a penalty corner to bring Aussies back into the hunt.
Harmanpreet scored his second goal in the third quarter starting in the 32nd minute. A late penalty conversion from Blake Govers in the 55th minute ensured a thrilling end to the contest in which India collected three points.
Currently, the Indian contingent has won three bronze medals at the Paris Olympics and all of them came in shooting.
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