New Delhi [India], August 13 : After winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Indian men's hockey team coach Shivendra Singh said that winning two consecutive medals at the Summer Games was a "huge" achievement.
The Indian Hockey Team received a warm welcome at the Delhi Airport on Tuesday morning.
Earlier on Saturday, the first set of the Indian men's hockey team arrived at the New Delhi Airport. The rest of the players who stayed for the closing ceremony of the Summer Games 2024 arrived on Tuesday.
Speaking to ANI, Shivendra said that winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics was "nothing ordinary" and they had prepared a lot to clinch it. He added that it was a tough job.
"Winning back-to-back medals is huge. It is nothing ordinary, you need to prepare a lot. It is a tough job...," Shivendra said.
Earlier on Thursday, a brace from captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh's saves secured a bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics with a 2-1 victory over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium in France.
Under the guidance of coach Craig Fulton, India created history by securing back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics. Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (30', 33') were enough to seal the victory. Marc Miralles (18') was the lone goal-scorer for Spain.
In an electrifying atmosphere, the Indian team triumphed despite being down 0-1 after the first quarter.
Sreejesh, playing his last game for India, was filled with emotions as the rest of the team joined him on the ground to celebrate this momentous occasion in India's hockey history.
India won consecutive bronze hockey medals for the first time in 52 years, since the 1972 Munich Games.
Singh emerged as the leading goal-scorer in the tournament, netting 10 goals in eight matches, surpassing Australia's Blake Govers, who scored seven goals, by three.
India finished in the 71st place on the Paris Olympics medals tally, while, the United States of America ended in top place with a total of 126 medals.
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