The Indian hockey team performed brilliantly and won the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics 2024. India had defeated Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal match. Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh played an important role in the victory of the Indian team. Experienced goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who was playing his last tournament, kept protecting the Indian goal like a rock throughout the tournament. Sreejesh had said goodbye to international hockey with the Paris Olympics.
PM praised hockey players fiercely
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Olympic team on Thursday (15 August). During this, PM Modi also interacted with the players of the hockey team. PM Modi especially praised hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh. PM Modi said that the hockey team won medals in two consecutive Olympic Games after 52 years. PM also talked to PR Sreejesh on his retirement. PM said that Sarpanch Saheb (Captain Harmanpreet Singh) and the team gave a wonderful farewell to Sreejesh.
#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi interacted with PR Sreejesh, who played the final match of his career at the Bronze-winning Hockey match at the Paris Olympics, during his interaction with the Indian Olympic contingent at his residence. pic.twitter.com/of12RIQLuj
— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024
PR Sreejesh said, ‘I was thinking about this for the last few years.’ Even my team members were asking when will you retire. But I was thinking that I have been playing for my team for almost 20 years, so I will retire on a good platform. Therefore, Olympics is a platform where the whole world celebrates sports. Therefore we thought that there could be no better decision than this.
Prime Minister Modi also praised Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh for giving a memorable farewell to Sreejesh and his teammates. PM Modi said, ‘The team gave you a wonderful farewell. Congratulations to this team. However, I appreciate the way the team bid farewell to you. Sarpanch Saheb made a big…’
India created history after 52 years
This was India’s fourth bronze medal in hockey. Apart from this, India has won the maximum number of 8 gold and 1 silver medals in Olympic history. India also won the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. With this, the Indian hockey team had created history in the Olympics after 52 years. Actually, the Indian hockey team has won 2 consecutive medals in the Olympics after 52 years. Earlier, from 1960 to 1972, India had won 4 consecutive medals in hockey. Then the country did not get any medal in the 1976 Olympics. After this, gold was won in 1980.