 "The Indian men's hockey team clinched bronze at the Paris Olympics after beating Spain in the playoff. Reuters")
Nita Ambani, the Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, congratulated the Indian men’s hockey team in winning bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday. India, led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, defeated Spain 2-1 to clinch bronze.
This is their second consecutive medal at the Olympics after having clinched bronze in Tokyo three years back. “Heartfelt congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team on winning bronze at the Paris Olympics,” Nita Ambani said in a statement. “Your determination, tireless efforts, and unyielding spirit have revived Indian Hockey’s rich legacy at the Olympics and paved the way for a glorious future,” she added.
Ambani hoped that the national hockey team would scale new heights in the upcoming years. “The entire country joins in celebrating your hard-earned success, and we look forward to seeing you reach even greater heights in the years to come. Jai Hind!," she concluded her statement.
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After Marc Miralles gave Spain a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute, India rode on a brace from Harmanpreet Singh to take a 2-1 lead and hold on for the eventual win. This is also after 52 years that India have secured hockey medals in consecutive editions of the Olympics, with the last instance being in 1968 and 1972.
India began their campaign with a 3-2 win over New Zealand in the group stage opener, before playing out a 1-1 draw against Argentina. They then defeated Ireland 2-0, which helped them secure a place in the quarter-finals. India then lost to Belgium 1-2, before scripting a historic 3-2 win over Australia in their final group match.
The quarter-final against Great Britain went to the shootouts, with India prevailing 4-2. Against Germany in the semi-finals, however, India were without defender Amit Rohidas and his absence was felt in a 2-3 defeat.