India put an end to decades of disappointment with a thrilling 5-4 win over Germany to clinch an Olympic hockey medal after 41 years on Thursday. It capped a memorable campaign by the Indian team in Tokyo. For once, the Indians delivered at the crunch and lived up to their world No. 3 ranking on the big stage.
Painful memories of Seoul 1988, where they went down to Great Britain 3-0 in the vital final group fixture, and the late equaliser by minnows Poland at Sydney 2000, which dashed India’s semifinal hopes, can be forgotten for the time being.
The Indians displayed great character after trailing 1-3 in third quarter of the bronze medal play-off. They pumped in four goals in quick time and then goalkeeper P R Sreejesh and the defence held their nerve to register a famous win. Sreejesh was in splendid form throughout the tournament.
India played an attractive brand of hockey in Tokyo. Head coach Graham Reid's strategy to blend the Australian and Indian style of play has paid rich dividends. They could match any side on the fitness count too.
The experience of captain Manpreet Singh, Sreejesh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Mandeep Singh and Harmanpreet Singh shone through, while the youngsters Vivek Sagar Prasad, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Hardik Singh dazzled.
India did remarkably well to regroup after suffering a 1-7 thrashing at the hands of Australia in their second pool match. Three wins in a row over Spain, holders Argentina and Asian Games champions Japan lifted them to second spot in Pool A.
A 3-1 over Great Britain took them to the semifinals, where they went down to world champions Belgium 5-2. The semifinal was a much closer game than the scoreline suggested for the teams were tied 2-2 going into the final quarter.
The Indians picked themselves up for the bronze medal match and kept their belief despite going down as early as the second minute. At 1-3 in the third quarter, India looked in real trouble before scripting an amazing turnaround.
This bronze is truly special and the medal-winning effort will be a boost to the team and a pointer to better days ahead for Indian hockey. The key now is to build on this success.