India Triumphs in Shootout Against Great Britain to Reach Hockey Semifinals at Paris 2024

Paris, August 4 2024 : India advanced to the semifinals of the men’s hockey event at the Paris 2024 Olympics after a thrilling 4-2 shootout victory against Great Britain on Sunday. Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, and Raj Kumar Pal scored for India, while James Albery and Zachary Wallace netted for Great Britain. However, missed attempts by Conor Williamson and Phil Roper sealed the win for India.

This marks India’s second consecutive Olympic semifinal appearance. Craig Fulton’s squad is now just one win away from securing an Olympic medal. Should they falter in the semifinals, they will compete for the bronze medal.

Great Britain posed an early threat, earning two penalty corners in quick succession during the first quarter, but Indian defender Amit Rohidas successfully thwarted both attempts. Despite relentless pressure from Great Britain, timely interventions by Indian goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh kept the scoreline intact. Great Britain came close to scoring from another penalty corner, but Jarmanpreet Singh and Sreejesh combined efforts to clear the danger. The first quarter ended goalless after crucial saves by GB goalkeeper Ollie Payne.

Early in the second quarter, India faced a setback as Rohidas received a red card for a dangerous play. However, India’s resilience shone through. Vivek’s impressive run earned a penalty corner, and captain Harmanpreet Singh capitalized with a powerful drag flick to put India ahead 1-0, despite being a player down.

Great Britain equalized three minutes before halftime with a goal from Lee Morton, who converted a rebound after a deflection off Sreejesh. The teams entered halftime tied at 1-1.

In the third quarter, India’s defense, bolstered by Sreejesh’s exceptional goalkeeping and Manpreet’s solid defensive plays, withstood Great Britain’s dominance in possession. India played the final quarter with nine players due to a green card for Sumit, but their defense held firm.

The match progressed to a shootout, where India triumphed 4-2, creating history with their resilient performance. India will face either Argentina or Germany in the semifinal on August 6.