The Indian men’s hockey team, despite being reduced to 10 men in the second quarter, triumphed over Great Britain 4-2 in a shootout, securing a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics quarter-finals on Friday.
Harmanpreet Singh (22’) initiated the scoring for India, marking his seventh goal of the tournament. Lee Morton (27’) netted Great Britain’s only goal, leading to a 1-1 draw at the end of regular time.
This victory marks India’s second consecutive appearance in the semi-finals of the men’s hockey Olympic tournament, following their bronze medal win at Tokyo 2020.
The first quarter witnessed a balanced contest, with both teams thwarting each other’s offensive efforts. The goalkeepers were tested, but the scoreboard remained unchanged.
The dynamics shifted dramatically in the second quarter when India’s Amit Rohidas received a red card after accidentally striking an opponent’s face with his hockey stick during a duel.
Despite being a man down, captain Harmanpreet Singh delivered a spectacular penalty corner goal with his signature drag flick, which sailed past keeper Ollie Payne, giving India an unexpected lead.
Shortly after, Lee Morton equalized for Great Britain, with his shot slipping past PR Sreejesh.
The third quarter saw Great Britain leveraging their numerical advantage, dominating the play and limiting India’s opportunities to advance into their attacking half.
In the final quarter, Great Britain had several promising chances but were repeatedly denied by India’s resolute defense.
PR Sreejesh, in a critical two-on-one situation, made a remarkable save to keep India in contention.
With the match ending in a draw, the contest moved to a shootout. In this decisive phase, Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, and Rajkumar Pal scored for India.
For Great Britain, Connor Williamson missed his shot, and Sreejesh saved Phillip Roper’s attempt, sealing India’s victory.
Looking ahead, India will face the winner of the Germany vs. Argentina quarter-final in the Paris 2024 Olympics hockey semi-finals on Tuesday.