India Defeats Britain, Reaches Hockey Semis
Paris, France – August 10, 2024 – The Indian hockey team secured their place in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics after defeating Britain in the quarter-final match. Despite receiving a red card early in the second quarter, the Indians fought valiantly and eventually triumphed 4-2 in the penalty shootout.
Former Indian captain and current Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey expressed his delight at the victory, acknowledging the immense challenge of playing with a man down. “I know how difficult it is to play for about 40 minutes with 10 players like this. This victory is very big. I would say that this is a historic victory,” he stated.
Tirkey also lauded goalkeeper Sreejesh, calling him “a champion player” and praising his crucial contributions to the team’s success.
This victory echoes India’s 3-1 triumph over Britain in the quarter-finals of the previous Olympics. Tirkey believes this latest win is even more significant and hints at a potential gold medal finish. “The team has played an amazing game. Now our focus will be on winning the gold medal,” he declared.
The match saw Indian defender Amit Rohidas receive a red card, but Tirkey defended his actions, claiming that the contact with the British player was unintentional.