Indian men's hockey team ends 52-year-long wait with Paris Olympics bronze medal

The Indian hockey team has achieved a remarkable feat that has taken over five decades to replicate. With a 2-1 victory against Spain in the Paris 2024 Olympics, India not only secured the bronze medal in men's hockey but also achieved back-to-back Olympic podium finishes for the first time since 1972. This historic achievement follows the team's thrilling comeback in Tokyo three years earlier, where they overcame a 1-3 deficit to win 5-4 and claim the third position. Repeating this success in consecutive Olympics is a milestone not seen since the 1968 and 1972 Games.

Over fifty years ago, India clinched consecutive bronze medals, first by defeating West Germany 2-1 in 1968, and then by overcoming the Netherlands in 1972. The last time India stood atop the Olympic podium was six years after that, when they won gold. It took them 41 years to return to medal contention after that triumph, and although they couldn't capture the gold this time, the bronze medal in Paris is a victory that carries a sweet sense of accomplishment.

After a tightly contested first quarter that ended in a 1-1 stalemate, Spain managed to keep India at bay, denying them any penalty opportunities. The pressure mounted in the second quarter when Amit Rohidas committed a foul, giving Spain the chance to take the lead. Marc Miralles capitalized on this opportunity, converting a penalty stroke to open the scoring.However, just before halftime, India finally earned their first penalty corner. In a surprising move, captain Harmanpreet Singh stepped aside, allowing Amit Rohidas to take the shot, but he missed the target. India made no such mistake on their next penalty corner, with Harmanpreet expertly driving the ball into the left corner of the goal to equalize. India then took the lead immediately after the break, as Harmanpreet once again successfully converted a penalty corner, putting India ahead, from where Spain never recovered.