India's Historic Back-to-Back Bronze Wins at Paris Olympics

The Indian men's hockey team, under coach Shivendra Singh, triumphed at the Paris Olympics, winning a bronze medal. The team was welcomed warmly at Delhi Airport. This marks India's first consecutive Olympic medals in 52 years, with standout performances from Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh.

After clinching a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Indian men's hockey team coach Shivendra Singh described the achievement of winning two consecutive Summer Games medals as 'huge.' The Indian Hockey Team received a grand welcome at Delhi Airport on Tuesday morning.

Following an earlier arrival on Saturday, the first set of players from the Indian men's hockey team landed at New Delhi Airport. The remaining squad, who stayed back for the Summer Games 2024 closing ceremony, arrived on Tuesday. Shivendra Singh, in an interview with ANI, emphasized that winning the bronze medal in Paris was 'nothing ordinary,' highlighting the significant preparation and effort involved in the feat.

'Winning back-to-back medals is huge. It is nothing ordinary; you need to prepare a lot. It is a tough job,' Shivendra remarked. Earlier in the week, a double from captain Harmanpreet Singh and crucial saves by PR Sreejesh secured India's bronze with a 2-1 victory over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium.

Under coach Craig Fulton's leadership, India made history with back-to-back Olympic bronze medals. Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (30', 33') were decisive, while Spain's Marc Miralles (18') scored the only goal for his team. In a thrilling match, India overcame a 0-1 deficit after the first quarter to triumph.

Sreejesh, playing his final game for India, was emotional as his teammates joined him in celebrating this historic win. India has now won consecutive Olympic medals in hockey for the first time since the 1972 Munich Games. Singh led the scoring at the tournament with 10 goals in eight matches, ahead of Australia's Blake Govers, who scored seven.

India finished 71st in the overall medals tally at the Paris Olympics, with the United States topping the chart with 126 medals. (ANI)