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After securing a heroic win over Great Britain in the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the spirited Indian men's hockey team led by Harmanpreet Singh will take on arch-rivals Germany on Tuesday in a bid to 'change the colour of the country's medals', here at the iconic Stade L'Yves-du-Manoir.
“We want to face Germany in the final. At least that is what we discussed among ourselves in the team meeting ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. They are tough opponents and when we play them, the game is usually decided till the last second,” said captain Harmanpreet Singh.
Even though the team suffered a setback when PC No.1 defender and forward Amit Rohidas was suspended for one match following a hearing on Sunday evening and Hockey India subsequently appealed the decision to the FIH panel, the players will remain focused on what is within their control.
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“Now, these things are not in our control. Even though it was a setback not to field Amit for the semi-finals, we remained focused on the task at hand. On Sunday, what stood out in our performance was the team’s ability to shoulder the added responsibility of the key position that Amit plays. “Every player played to their best and even till the last minute, we kept fighting,” he said.
Read also: Amit Rohidas has been handed a one-match ban, meaning he cannot play in the semi-final against Germany at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Reigning world champions Germany have qualified for the semi-finals after a 3-2 win over Argentina in the quarter-finals. They are a familiar opponent for India in high-stakes tournaments, the most famous being the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics where India registered a thrilling 5-4 victory – thanks to a brilliant last-second save from PC's Sreejesh, ending a 41-year drought at the Olympics.
In the days leading up to the Paris Olympics 2024, India faced Germany in practice matches and recently, India won five out of six matches played against Germany.
“Past performances are wiped out and we start from scratch on Tuesday. We don’t want to rely on our results against Germany in the past. What we will be counting on is our own performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where we have gone from strength to strength as we have progressed through the tournament.
“Of course, the win against Australia in the last Group B match gave us the boost we needed for the quarter-finals and now we take heart after the quarter-finals against Great Britain where we played with 10 men for almost 43 minutes,” added India vice-captain Hardik Singh.
There are many firsts for the Indian team at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. For the first time in 52 years, the team won against arch-rivals Australia. This was followed by the 10-member Indian team winning against a strong opponent like Great Britain in the quarter-finals and for the first time, the team had a wicket-keeper who had announced that it would be his last dance, and the team fought hard to ensure that the farewell song did not end like that for PR Sreejesh who stood like a warrior on the goal post and made every moment count.
Fans will be hoping that India will claim another maiden victory by reaching the Olympic final, a feat the Indian team has not achieved since the 1980 Moscow Olympics. “There are mixed feelings among the teams at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
We not only want to change the colour of our medal, but we also want to win it and make it special for Sreejesh who has distinguished himself in this position. We entered the quarter-finals with the thought that this should not be the last for Sreejesh, similarly, we will reach the semi-finals with the desire to win it for Sreejesh,” concluded Hardik Singh.
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