Sreejesh stands like a wall, takes India to hockey semi-finals in Paris Olympics
Paris: P R Sreejesh, the ageless wonder, did the star turn again as India pipped Great Britain 4-2 in the penalty shootout after being level 1-1 in regulation time to enter the men's hockey semi-final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. After beating Australia earlier, India were under pressure as Amit Rohidas was sent off with a red card violation.
Playing with 10 men on the field was hard. As Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said later: "The quality of umpiring in the Olympics is not good enough." For all those who have seen poor judging in boxing and now hockey, this win is for the ages. Having won a bronze medal at the last Olympics in Tokyo, India have been hyped. To enter the arena high on hope and deliver was defining.
For India, skipper Harmanpreet Singh (22nd minute) netted a goal but Britain's Lee Morton (27th minute) restored parity. In the shootout, India converted all their chances for an entry into the last four stages. Captain Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, and Rajkumar Pal each found the back of the net during the shootout.
For years, PR Sreejesh has been the hero for India. Sreejesh is playing his fourth Olympics, and what defines him is longevity and reflexes at the back of the line. Easily, Sreejesh made a big difference once again in a high-stakes game. He successfully blocked the third and fourth attempts by Connor Williamson and Phillip Ropper, breaking the 2-2 deadlock in the shootout. Great Britain had initially managed to put two points on the board, courtesy of James Albrey and Zach Wallace.
There is a lot of history involving India and Britain in hockey. For India to come out firing with one man short was a reflection of the effort they have put in under new coach Craig Fulton.
Towards the end of the opening quarter, India intensified their efforts and won three consecutive penalty corners, but they couldn’t capitalise on them. The thrilling first quarter ended with the score deadlocked at 0-0.
Britain maintained an aggressive approach and nearly scored early in the second quarter, but Sreejesh once again made a superb save to deny them the lead. However, India faced a setback when Amit Rohidas was shown a red card in the 17th minute for lifting his stick towards the face of Will Calnan. After that, India played with only 10 men on the field.
If one talks of energy and not giving up, India played with purpose. There was no dejection that they were one player short. Instead, team India, led by Harmanpreet Singh, ensured the boys played solid hockey. Harmanpreet displayed his power to convert a penalty corner in the 22nd minute, giving India the lead. This was his seventh goal in Paris 2024.
The fourth and final quarter was again dominated by Britain as they had ball possession. They tried hard to make inroads, but India did not buckle under pressure. This became a match between Britain and Sreejesh. Each time there was an attack, Sreejesh was solid. This is his last Olympics campaign, and he wants to end on a high. By all indicators, he is ready to fight without any fear. Before the team left for Paris, Sreejesh said the team was solid and better prepared than in Tokyo three years ago. Sunday was proof of it.
