Tokyo: Overwhelmed by emotions after leading India to the first Olympic Hockey medal in 41 years, Skipper Manpreet Singh on Thursday dedicated historic victory to doctors and state health workers, who have worked tirelessly to save lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 29-year-old child from Jalandhar “was silent” after the 5-4 Epoch victory over Germany who gave India’s 12th Hockey medal at the Olympics but who came after more than four decades.
Read Alsotokyo Olympics 2020: India creates history, wins a Hockey medal after 41 years of ex-gold winner eight times, who fought against a heartbreaking decline in the past four decades, making the resurrection in the past few years recalculated in the best way with an Olympic medal.
The last time India stood on the podium in the Moscow 1980 game where they won gold.
This country has eight gold medals in all games.
“I don’t know what to say now, it’s fantastic.
The effort, games, we’re 3-1 down.
I think we deserve this medal.
We have worked very hard, the last 15 months is difficult for us.
Also, we are in Bangalore And some of us got Covid too, “remember Manpreet.
Indian results in hockey since 1928 Olympics “We want to dedicate this medal to doctors and frontline health workers who have saved so much life in India,” he said.
An endless German testing every little determination that the Indian Hockey team and Manpreet recognizes the opposition grit.
“It’s hard, they got a penalty angle in the last six seconds.
We thought we had to keep it with our lives.
It’s very difficult.
I’m silent now,” said the captain, who seemed to be overcome by emotions.
“We have a long gap when we don’t get medals.
Now we will get more confident, yes we can do it.
If we can finish on the podium at the Olympics, we can finish on the podium anywhere,” he added.
Read Alsotokyo Olympics: Meet the Indian men’s hockey team who broke the 41-year-old Jinx medal last time India has won a Hockey medal at the Olympics running back in 1980, when the country won his last gold.
Now, Jinx 41 years has finally been damaged, thanks to the edge of the carrying of your chair from a bronze medal match, which saw India beat Germany 5-4.India had suffered a 2-5 loss for Belgium in the semifinals, which put paid on their golden expectations in the game.
Manpreet said coach Graham Reid shook the players from disappointment by telling them to stay focused on the play-off match.
“…
We don’t give up.
We keep fighting.
This is a great feeling, the best feeling.
We came here for gold, we won bronze, it was still a great thing.
It’s a great moment for all hockey fans.” He said.
“It’s only the beginning here, it’s not finished (with this bronze),” he added.
Drag-Flicker Rupinder Pal Singh, one of the five goals scorers on the day, could not help tears when talking to the media and said it was only the start of great things in Indian hockey.
“People forget hockey in India.
They love hockey, but they stop hoping that we can win.
But we win today.
They can expect more than us in the future.
Continue to believe in us,” he said.