Paris Olympics 2024: Indian men’s hockey team lose to Germany in semifinal, to play for bronze medal

The Indian men’s hockey team will fight for the bronze medal after failing to make it to the gold medal match at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. The Harmanpreet Singh-led team lost to Germany 2-3 in a pulsating semifinal at the Yves du Manoir Stadium.

India had more opportunities to score but Germany made full use of their chances to progress to the gold medal match. Germany and the Netherlands will play for the gold and silver medals while India and Spain will lock horns with the winner of the match winning bronze.

India won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 after a 41-year long wait for an Olympic medal. India had defeated Germany in Tokyo to win the bronze medal and the semifinal win was a redemption of sorts for Germany.

India could only score two out of 12 penalty corner chances while Germany scored one goal out of the four opportunities they had got. They even scored from a field goal and even got a penalty stroke after a foul from Jarmanpreet Singh.

Harmanpreet opened the scoring for India in the seventh minute after converting one of India’s half-a-dozen penalty corner chances. Germany’s Gonzalo Peillat scored in the 18th minute to draw level. Christopher Ruehr doubled Germany’s lead when he found the net in the 27th minute as Germany went into the half-time break with a 2-1 lead.

Sukhjeet’s strike helped India draw level but Marco Mitcau scored with just six minutes left on the clock to stun India.

India did try to come back strong but a host of mispasses and lack of constructive passes in the final third did India in.

Sreejesh, although he saved one goal early on, was also at the receiving end as the Indian forward line failed to make an impact.