Indian men's hockey team pulled off their 13th Olympic medal after beating Spain in the bronze medal match in Paris on Thursday. India beat Spain 2-1 in a thrilling bronze medal match to record back-to-back medals at the Olympics for the first time since 1972.
After the game, the Indian players broke into wild celebrations at Stade Yves Du-Manoir. The retiring goalkeeper PR Sreejesh finished his glorious career with a couple of brilliant saves in the final moments and received a memorable farewell from his teammates after a win.
He climbed on the goalposts as Indian players bowed down to recognise his contribution to hockey India. Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh then approached the legendary Sreejesh and lifted him on his shoulders to take a short victory lap.
After the celebrations, Harmanpreet praised India's defence to deny Spain several penalty corners and dedicated India's Paris 2024 campaign to Sreejesh.
"The bronze medal match is important for us and our country," Harmanpreet Singh told broadcasters after the match. "We need to face a lot of phases to compete in the Olympics. Sometimes the result is not in our favour. It is a big thing for India to win back-to-back matches. It’s very difficult to defend, unfortunately, we gave them chances. Our PC defence is among one of the best. We dedicate this Olympic tournament to Sreejesh, who will be bidding his farewell. We hope you’ll support us and this sport."
Sreejesh finished his career with over 300 international appearances for India with two Olympic bronze medals, two golds in the Asian Games and two silvers in the Commonwealth Games. He was part of India's last four Olympic campaigns and revealed that he will not reconsider his decision to retire after the win.
"I think this is the better way to finish an Olympic Games, with a medal," Sreejesh said. "We are not going home empty-handed, that's a great thing. I respect the sentiments of people (who may have wanted him to continue).
Some decisions are hard, but making a decision at the right time makes the situation more beautiful. So, my decision stays."
