In their final group match at the Paris Olympic 2024, the Indian men's hockey team faced off against Australia. The Indian team triumphed with a score of 3-2. In the match held on August 2 (Friday), goals were scored by Abhishek (18th minute) and captain Harmanpreet Singh (13th & 33rd minutes) for India. From the Australian side, Thomas Craig (25th minute) and Blake Govers (55th minute) found the net.
This victory marks the first time in 52 years that the Indian hockey team has defeated Australia in the Olympic Games. The last time was at the Munich Olympics in 1972. This win against the Kangaroo team is thus of great historical significance. It is noteworthy that the Indian team had already advanced to the quarter-finals.
The India-Australia Match Highlights
In the first quarter, the Indian team dominated, scoring two goals. Abhishek produced a field goal, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack. Lalit Upadhyay entered the D area and tricked the Australian defense, then Abhishek flicked the ball past the goalkeeper to score. Captain Harmanpreet Singh then netted a goal from a penalty corner, putting India ahead 2-0.
Australia made a comeback in the second quarter when Thomas Craig successfully converted a penalty corner into a goal. In the third quarter, Harmanpreet Singh once again extended India's lead to 3-1 by scoring from a penalty stroke. The last quarter was thrilling, with the Australian team making every effort to equalize. Blake Govers scored from a penalty stroke in the 55th minute, but it wasn't enough to secure a win or draw.
Source: aajtak
After winning an Olympic medal after 41 years in Tokyo, the Indian team had earlier defeated New Zealand 3-2 in their opening match. They drew 1-1 against Argentina. In their third match, India crushed Ireland 2-0. However, they faced a narrow 1-2 defeat against Olympic champions Belgium.
Besides India, Pool-B includes New Zealand, Argentina, Ireland, Belgium, and Australia. Pool-A consists of the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Spain, South Africa, and host country France. Four teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. India reached the quarter-finals finishing second in Pool-B, with Belgium topping the group. Australia and Argentina from Pool-B also reached the quarter-finals.
Indian Hockey Squad for Paris Olympics 2024
Goalkeeper:
P R Sreejesh.
Defenders:
Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay.
Midfielders:
Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad.
Forwards:
Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh.
Alternate Players:
Neelakanta Sharma, Jugraj Singh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak.
