Tokyo Olympics: A brace from India’s star drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur and a goal from Vandana Katariya weren’t enough as India lost the bronze medal match to Great Britain by 3-4 in an edge-of-the-seat play-off match.
HIGHLIGHTS
- India came up with a valiant fight against Rio Olympic champions Great Britain
- Goals from Gurjit and Vandana weren't enough for India on Friday
- India women scripted history but fell short of their maiden Olympic medal
Indian women have done themselves and India proud with a valiant effort at the Tokyo Olympics. Rani Rampal’s team lost the Hockey Bronze Medal match 3-4 to the Rio Olympic champions at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo on Friday, but the fight that has highlighted their stunning campaign was on display once again.
Even before the buzzer went off in the Bronze medal match, India made history in Tokyo Olympics as Rani Rampal’s team became the first women’s hockey team from the country to make it to the semi-final. They came up with a courageous display to run the Rio Olympic champions close but they were not able to go past the finish line.
India women dropped to their knees in heartbreak as the buzzer went off as they put relentless pressure on Great Britain in the final quarter. India were reeling 0-2 down after conceding early in the 2nd quarter but Sjoerd Marijne's women showed their class, scoring as many as 3 goals in 6 minutes to go into the half-time with a 3-2 lead. But after conceding an early goal in the 4th quarter, India were unable to find the equaliser to force a shoot-off.
Goalkeeper Savita Punia, famously being called as Save-ita, was inconsolable as she poured her emotions out after India missed the bronze medal by a whisker.
A brace from India’s star drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur and a goal from Vandana Katariya weren’t enough as India lost the Bronze Medal match to Great Britain. Savita Punia was brilliant once again but it was heartbreak for the girls from India.
The men's team rewrote history on Thursday as it claimed an Olympic medal after 41 years, defeating Germany 5-4 to win the bronze in an edge-of-the-seat play-off match.
And having already recorded their best-ever Olympic performance, the Indian women looked to double the nation's joy on.
At the group stage India was thrashed 1-4 by Great Britain, who were the defending champions.
The Indian women's hockey team wasted several chances in that match and could have made a closer match of it had they showed better finishing skills.
The difference between the two teams was that India had the better share of chances but Great Britain utilised more opportunities that came their way.
India secured as many as eight penalty corners in the match but converted just one. Great Britain too didn't have great success rate from set pieces as they found the net just once from the six they earned.
The Indians would take a lot of confidence from their spirited performance against world no.2 Argentina in the semifinals even though they lost match 1-2.
A valiant fight against Argentina too
The Indians fought valiantly and gave Argentina a run for their money but were guilty of conceding penalty corners at crucial junctures of the match which eventually proved costly.
With nothing to lose from here on, world no.7 India would fancy their chances against world no.4 Great Britain.
There is no pressure on them as the 18 fearless and determined women had already done the unthinkable when they stunned three-time champions Australia 1-0 to enter the Olympic semifinals for the first time.
India's best performance in the Olympics came way back in the 1980 Moscow Games where they finished fourth out of six teams.
In that edition of the Games, women's hockey made its debut in the Olympics and the sport was played in a round-robin format with top two teams qualifying for the final.
0 Comments