Tokyo Olympics: India down Britain 3-1 to make last 4 after 49 years, to face Belgium next | Tokyo Olympics News – Times of India

Hockey in India is not just a sport; it is an emotion. And watching India at the Olympic Games is not for the fainthearted.
The quarterfinal contest against Great Britain on Sunday was no exception. One needed steel to stay glued to the action. India’s search for an elusive medal in its national sport has stretched to a painful 41 years. After winning the gold at the 1980 Moscow Games, the team met with disappointment at every Olympics since.
On Sunday night at the Oi hockey stadium, the Men in Blue took a giant step to reverse the trend. Led by Manpreet Singh, India showed grit and determination to see off Great Britain’s challenge with a 3-1 victory.
The win marks a new beginning as it is India’s first semifinal appearance in 49 years — if one were to exclude the competition at the 1980 Games which was played in the round-robin format. Prior to that, India qualified for the last-four at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where they finished with the bronze medal.

India will face Belgium, who got past Spain 3-1.
For India, the quarterfinal was in many ways the coming of age of the team, both mentally and game wise. They started the match with aggression and intent and when the tide turned against them at a crucial juncture, they soaked up pressure and did not stray from their strategy.
The fact that Manpreet picked up a yellow card with six minutes on the clock did not unsettle the team. Also, the match was won on the strength of field goals as there were no penalty corners to take.
India’s game plan suggested they were going in for the attack but they did so at their pace, playing the waiting game to near perfection. They played hard and deep, covering their bases and controlling the proceedings even when ball possession was lost.

The Indian forwardline has been under scrutiny for its lack of experience and execution in the last touch. But the forwards redeemed themselves on the day. In the 7th minute, Simranjeet Singh relayed a pass from the top of the circle for an unmarked Dilpreet Singh to rifle past goalkeeper Ollie Payne’s legs.
India could have stretched the lead in the quarter but failed to convert their chances. They accelerated at the beginning of the second quarter and it took Gurjant Singh just a minute to stretch India’s lead.
With Britain making inroads subsequently, India ensured a midfield game for the last 10 minutes before half-time. Having earned three consecutive penalty corners, Britain pulled one back off their last attempt through Samuel Ward in the third quarter.
The goal added fire to Britain’s challenge and they relentlessly attacked the Indian circle but the defence did not wilt. It also took some outstanding effort from the dependable PR Sreejesh to thwart the opposition.
With Hardik Singh slotting home a Nilakanta Sharma pass on the counter, India had a 3-1 cushion with three minutes to go and they kept that intact.
On the other side, Germany, who knocked out holders Argentina with a 3-1 scoreline, will face Australia, a team which came through 3-0 in penalties against the Netherlands after the match was tied at 2-all at regulation time.