NEW DELHI: The Indian men’s hockey team on Thursday clinched a second successive bronze medal in the Olympic Games, defeating Spain 2-1 in the third position playoff match in Paris.
The win for India in the bronze medal match meant that star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh bowed out with 2 Olympic medals in his glittering 18-year-old long career.
Emotions ran high in the Indian camp after the final hooter as Sreejesh — The Great Indian Wall of Indian hockey — was seen crashing onto the turf with a sigh of relief.
His teammates were then seen saluting the legendary goalkeeper while skipper Harmanpreet Singh lifted him on his shoulders for a lap after the triumph.
The win for India in the bronze medal match meant that star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh bowed out with 2 Olympic medals in his glittering 18-year-old long career.
Emotions ran high in the Indian camp after the final hooter as Sreejesh — The Great Indian Wall of Indian hockey — was seen crashing onto the turf with a sigh of relief.
His teammates were then seen saluting the legendary goalkeeper while skipper Harmanpreet Singh lifted him on his shoulders for a lap after the triumph.
Sreejesh bowed out as the best ever goalkeeper India has produced.
In the match, eight-time champions India came from behind to collect their 13th men’s Olympic hockey medal.
Harmanpreet (30th, 33rd minute) scored a brace for India, while Spain’s only goal was scored by captain Marc Miralles in the 18th minute from a penalty stroke at the Yves du Manoir Stadium in Colombes, northwest of Paris.
It is India’s fourth bronze medal, and second in succession following Tokyo, and adds to those eight golds, the last of which came in 1980, and three silvers.