India midfielder Manpreet Singh has dedicated their bronze medal triumph at the Paris Olympics to the retiring PR Sreejesh. India defeated Spain 2-1 in a pulsating clash at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium – 1 on Thursday to win bronze and secure their 13th overall Olympic medal from men’s hockey.
Sreejesh had already announced that he will retire after this match, thus bringing an end to a storied career that includes two Olympic medals – a bronze each from Tokyo and Paris.
“I dedicate this medal to Sreejesh. I have played alongside him for 13 years, and now, as a team, we are winning. This victory is for him,” Manpreet told JioCinema minutes after India’s win.
It was under the captaincy of Manpreet that India won a bronze in Tokyo while this time around they took the medal under Harmanpreet Singh who scored 10 goals during the competition.
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“I feel great about winning bronze for the second time. Our goal was to reach the final, and while it’s disappointing not to have made it, I’m proud of our performance throughout the tournament,” Manpreet said.
India suffered a heartbreaking 2-3 defeat to world champion Germany in the semifinals which ended their hopes of contesting for the gold.
Manpreet said the defeat hurt the players but they were more determined than ever to not return home emptyhanded from the Paris Olympics.
“I want to thank India for the tremendous support we received throughout the tournament. After losing the semi-final, we were down, but we knew we had to secure the bronze. We had worked incredibly hard for it and were determined not to leave empty-handed,” he said.
Sreejesh was in top form in Paris and took his performance to another level against Great Britain in the quarterfinal when India were reduced to 10 men thanks to a straight red card for Amit Rohidas.
Sreejesh continues his exceptional show in the bronze medal match too, holding the fort to ensure India held on to their slim lead.
“Sree can carry on playing but we have to respect his decision,” said India coach Craig Fulton after the win.
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