After their historic bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics, the Indian Hockey Team received a hero’s welcome upon their arrival at Delhi Airport on Tuesday. Crowds of enthusiastic fans gathered to greet the players, celebrating their achievement with the beats of dhols and cheers.
Among those who touched down in the national capital were key players PR Sreejesh, Abhishek Nain, Amit Rohidas, and Sanjay. The rest of the team, who had stayed in Paris for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Games, joined them on Tuesday after the initial group arrived on Saturday.
Sumit Valmiki, one of the team members, expressed his joy at the overwhelming reception, saying, “It feels great. Entire India is sending us its love…You can see the atmosphere across the country…Love us more, we will perform even better. Sreejesh gave his best throughout the tournament. We won Bronze due to him…”
The Indian team, under the guidance of coach Craig Fulton, made history by securing back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics, a feat not achieved by India since the 1972 Munich Games. The team’s victory was sealed with a 2-1 win over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium in France, with captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring both goals for India in the 30th and 33rd minutes. Spain’s Marc Miralles had initially put his team ahead in the 18th minute, but India’s resilience and Sreejesh’s outstanding goalkeeping turned the tide.
Sreejesh, playing his final game for India, was visibly emotional as his teammates joined him on the field to celebrate this significant achievement. His saves throughout the tournament were instrumental in securing the bronze medal for India.
India finished in 71st place on the Paris Olympics medals tally, while the United States topped the chart with a total of 126 medals. Despite this, India’s back-to-back Olympic hockey medals mark a significant milestone, with Harmanpreet Singh emerging as the tournament’s leading goal-scorer, netting 10 goals in eight matches, surpassing Australia’s Blake Govers by three goals.
The grand welcome at Delhi Airport is a testament to the pride and joy that the Indian hockey team has brought to the nation with their remarkable performance on the global stage.
