Hockey: India Defeats Great Britain In Penalty Shootout To Reach Olympic Semifinals

In a gripping quarterfinal clash at the Yves du Manoir Stadium in Paris, a resilient 10-man Indian team edged past Great Britain in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout to secure a spot in the semifinals at the Olympics on 4 August.

Buoyed by mental training sessions with Paddy Upton and adventurer Mike Horn, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalists triumphed 4-2 in the shootout following a 1-1 tie in regulation time.

Despite playing with one man down for nearly three quarters, India displayed remarkable defensive prowess. Goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, despite a hamstring issue, made over 20 saves, while Harmanpreet Singh converted a crucial penalty corner to give India the lead.

Great Britain's Lee Morton equalised before halftime, but India’s defence held firm against relentless British pressure.

The match saw further drama when India was temporarily reduced to nine men following a green card to Sumit. Nonetheless, India's defence, guided by coach Craig Fulton’s emphasis on flexibility, withstood Great Britain's attacks.

In the shootout, Indian players Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, and Raj Kumar Pal scored, while Sreejesh's saves were pivotal.

"A match that will be remembered for ages," Hockey India said in an X post.

Sreejesh, contemplating the possibility of this being his last match, expressed determination and pride in his team’s performance. He highlighted the importance of the upcoming semifinal and remained hopeful about the red card decision involving Amit Rohidas.

“See, whoever comes in the semis, we (will) just play our game. That’s it, that’s important, because now it’s a different game, because we are one man down and we need to focus on that now,” he said.

India will now prepare to face their next opponent in the semifinals, aiming to continue their strong performance and secure a place in the final.

"India's lost glory in #Hockey is now back! Reaching Olympics Semi final back to back is a huge achievement. All the best to our smart boys in the Semi-final match !!" Union Minister Kiren Rijiju posted on X.