The gold hopes for the India men's hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics are now over after a 5-2 semi-final loss to Belgium.
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The gold hopes for the India men’s hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics are now over. A 5-2 loss in the semi-final against Belgium means India can at best win a bronze medal now. It is a disappointing result for the Indians, who played valiantly to make it as far as they did. However, they were undone by conceding a number of penalty corners – something Belgium took full advantage of. (Tokyo 2020 full coverage)
Belgium took the lead early in the first quarter from a PC. However, India fought back hard and first equalised then took the lead in the span of two minutes.
First Harmanpreet equalised from a PC, before Mandeep gave India the lead with a well-taken shot from close range. However, an equaliser from Belgium meant the game was level at half-time.
The third quarter saw no goals, but did show a sign of things to come – India conceding a number of penalty corners. This would come back to haunt them in the final quarter.
Belgium scored a third and then a fourth before going into game management mode. India, desperate for a goal, removed goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and brought on an extra attacker. However the move backfired and Belgium scored a fifth on the counter.
The world champions will be favourites to go the distance in the tournament.
The Tokyo Olympics, which was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now up and running. The Games have not been without their share of controversies, however.
The event is happening despite plenty of protests from the Japanese people against it. And the angst is not without reason. Tokyo is currently in a state of emergency due to a rise in COVID cases.
The Games will by and large be played out in the absence of fans, always a major psychological blow to athletes. There’s also been a number of cases reported in the Olympic village itself.
Nevertheless, the Games remain an event that many around the world will be keen to watch. From July 23 to August 8, many will be hooked onto their televisions to follow the events.
