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          Hockey is back: India retain Olympics bronze medal at Paris 2024

          The Indian men's hockey team bowed down to the retiring PR Sreejesh after India defeated Spain 2-1 to win bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images
          • Aaditya Narayan
          Aug 8, 2024, 02:30 PM

          The primal roars at the end of the bronze medal match three years ago were replaced by a clutch of embraces. The relief of breaking a 41-year-old drought in Tokyo replaced by the happiness of continued success. The emotions were the same, but they also had an added edge. An Indian Olympic medal in hockey always means more... but doing it back-to-back after a gap of 52 years? Magic.

          A reminder that the Olympic podium hasn't let India go.

          INDIA'S OLYMPIC MEDAL TALLY | INDIA AT PARIS OLYMPICS | LATEST OLYMPIC NEWS | KEY DATES AT PARIS 2024

          This is India's 13th Olympic medal in hockey, and their fourth bronze. It is also the first time since 1972 that India have back-to-back Olympic medals in hockey.

          Captain Harmanpreet Singh put in an inspired performance - his two stunning dragflicks put India in the lead, before Sreejesh held the fort in goal in the final quarter when India came under serious pressure from the Spanish attackers. Of course, Sreejesh held the fort: in his farewell match, he was never not going to do that.

          India began the game in stark contrast to the semifinal against Germany, as they were a bit slow and ponderous in the first couple of quarters. They had only one clear chance in the opening 25 minutes, a Sukhjeet Singh shot that he scuffed wide.

          Spain took the lead through a penalty stroke after Manpreet Singh's tackle from behind inside the circle. Marc Miralles put Spain in the lead with a stroke that hit the top corner.

          But, as he always does, Harmanpreet stood up. First, with 20 seconds left in the first half, he thundered a dragflick that nearly broke the backboard. Then, three minutes into the second half, he flicked one low and took pace off as he found the corner to the goalkeeper's right.

          The captain finished the Olympics with ten goals, and is on course to finish this tournament as the top-scorer. For context, no other Indian scored more than two goals.

          Coach Craig Fulton has always spoken about building his team on the back of their ability to defend. They had to do that, especially in the fourth quarter. They did make a couple of strange decisions, none more so than Harmanpreet's ill-advised slide tackle inside the circle with just 44 seconds left on the clock.

          But fate was smiling on India. Spain fluffed their lines from both their penalty corners in the last couple of minutes.

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          Sreejesh had to make a couple of big saves too in the fourth quarter, but the Indian backline, shored up by the returning Amit Rohidas stood strong, and didn't give away any chances from open play. And then when they had to defend penalty corners, Rohidas's rushing was impeccable as well.

          A bulk of this group are now double Olympic medallists. The magnitude of this achievement will take a while to sink in. But for now, the country will again rejoice in the glory of its oldest sporting love. As captain Harmanpreet Singh said after the match, "hockey is back".