Indian men's hockey team wins second successive Olympic bronze medal with 2-1 win over Spain in third position playoff.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh (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.
The Indians were the aggressors in the first quarter, dominating the early exchanges with precision, but Spain came back hard after the first 15 minutes. Spain had nine penalty corners as against India's six of which the latter converted two.
The medal is fitting farewell for veteran India custodian PR Sreejesh, nicknamed ' The Great Indian Wall of Indian hockey', who drew curtains on his illustrious 18-year-old career with this match.
He will be bowing out as the best ever goalkeeper India has produced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the Indian hockey team for winning the bronze medal in the Olympics.
He said on X, "The Indian Hockey team shines bright at the Olympics, bringing home the Bronze Medal! This is even more special because it is their second consecutive Medal at the Olympics."
Their success is a triumph of skill, perseverance and team spirit, he said, adding that the team showed immense grit and resilience.
Modi said, "Every Indian has an emotional connect with Hockey and this accomplishment will make the sport even more popular among the youth of our nation."
This is also the first time the India won back to back medal after a gap of 52 years. They won last consecutively in 1968 and 1972. This is also the 13th medal for India hockey team in the Olympics
India is the most successful hockey nation in Olympic history, having won 12 medals: eight gold, one silver, and three bronze. However, India last featured in the Olympic final 44 years ago in Moscow in 1980, as per Olympics.com.
