India wins bronze in men's hockey at Tokyo Olympics, first in 41 years

The Men in Blue defeated Germany in an evenly contested match on Thursday morning.

India created history on Thursday when the men's hockey team defeated Germany 5-4 to win the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The match was a roller-coaster of emotions as the Indian players finally ended a wait of 41 years for a medal at the Olympic Games.

India started the campaign in Tokyo brightly but were hammered against Australia 7-1 to Australia in the Pool A fixtures. At one point of time, the chances of winning a medal in hockey for India at the Tokyo Olympics looked bleak. However, the Men in Blue showed their quality and won all of their remaining matches until the semifinal.

Belgium defeated India by 5-2 to dash the hopes of a gold medal. India advanced to the bronze medal match, where they defeated Germany 5-4 to create history.

The match itself was not for the faint of heart. India were down by 1-3 at one point and looked to have conceded the match. However, India shot into a 5-3 lead at the end of the third quarter. Having said that, the final quarter was full of controversies and nail-biting moments. Germany scored their fourth goal and a single goal made all the difference between the two sides. 

There were only six seconds to go until the final whistle when the Germans received a penalty corner to tie the game. This is when India’s veteran goalkeeper, PR Sreejesh came up with a fabulous save to ensure the victory for India.

Indian men’s hockey team now has three bronze medals, one silver medal and eight gold medals in the history of the Olympics. This feat have also ensured India of its fourth medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.

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