A wave of celebration swept through Gurjant Singh’s home as the Indian men’s hockey team clinched a spot in the Paris Olympics semi-finals. The team achieved a memorable 4-2 victory over Great Britain in a dramatic shoot-off, even while being short-handed for most of the match.
At Gurjant Singh’s residence, sweets were distributed to mark the joyous occasion. His father, Baldev Singh, expressed his pride and happiness, saying, “We are thrilled. Our team has performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament. Despite being down to 10 players, we secured a win today by God’s grace. I’ve been receiving numerous calls and messages of congratulations. We are hopeful for a win in the semi-finals and ultimately the gold medal.”
Gurjant’s mother, Sukhjinder Kaur, also shared her excitement, adding, “We’ve received an outpouring of calls from relatives, all sharing in our happiness. I spoke with Gurjant two days ago, and we are hopeful and praying for a gold medal. The match was challenging, but the team played superbly.”
The match saw Captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring for Bharat in the 22nd minute, with Lee Morton equalising for Great Britain in the 27th minute. With a 1-1 draw at the end of regular time, the game proceeded to a shootout where India flawlessly converted their opportunities, securing a 1-1 (4-2 SO) victory.
Bharat’s victory was particularly remarkable as they played with 10 men after Amit Rohidas was red-carded in the second quarter for a high stick incident with Will Calnan. The team displayed remarkable resilience, and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh’s outstanding performance prevented Great Britain from scoring further, solidifying India’s path to the semi-finals.
The celebrations at Gurjant Singh’s home mirrored the pride and anticipation of the nation, eagerly awaiting India’s performance in the semi-finals, hoping for a medal.
