Paris Olympics: India to Fight For Bronze After 2-3 Defeat to Germany in Men's Hockey Semifinal

India lost 2-3 to Germany in the semifinal of the men’s hockey of the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. It was a dream chance for India to enter the final of the Olympics after 44 years but Germany played spoilsport to that.

Skipper Harmanpreet Singh (7th) and Sukhjeet Singh (36th) scored for India, while Gonzalo Peillat (18th), Christopher Ruhr (27th) and Marco Miltkau (54th) were the scorers for Germany.

India will now take on Spain in the bronze medal match, while Germany will be up against the Netherlands in the final.

India started their Olympic campaign with a 3-2 win over New Zealand before being held to an 11- draw by Argentina. They next defeated Ireland 2-0 before Belgium handed them their first defeat if Pool B. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists bounced back from the 1-2 defeat to stun Australia 3-2 to conclude their pool stage campaign on a high.

It was a great opportunity for India to enter their first final of the Olympics since the 1980 Games but Germany dashed their hopes with a decisive goal in the fourth and final quarter.

The Indians were on the front foot, pressing the German defence hard in the opening quarter and in the process scored the first goal of the match through Harmanpreet.

But the Germans, known for their steely resolve, came back strongly in the second quarter and equalised from a penalty corner through Peillat, before talking the lead through a penalty stroke conversion by Ruhr.

The Indians secured both their goals through penalty corners as in the 36th minute, Sukhjeet nicely deflected in a variation from Harmanpreet’s flick.

The Germans attacked with intensity in the fourth and final quarter and just six minutes from the final hooter, they scored the winner when Miltkau deflected in a cross to break Indian hearts.

The Indians had their chances in the match as they earned as many as 11 penalty corners but converted just one.

Germany, on the other hand, secured only four penalty corners.

(With Inputs From PTI)

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