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<p><span><strong>Indian Men&rsquo;s Hockey Team</strong></span></p><p><strong>Sport:</strong><span> Hockey</span></p><p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Bronze at Tokyo 2020 Games</p><p><strong>How they qualified:</strong> Won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games</p><div class="itemcenter"><amp-iframe height="62" title="" width="320" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014%5Cu0026native%3D1" class="mrBt15 preferred-source-banner"> </amp-iframe></div></p><p><span><span><strong><span>S</span></strong></span></span>n August 5, 2021, a nation rejoiced and heaved a sigh of relief. The 41-year wait for an Olympic medal in hockey was finally over. Generations had grown up hearing of the heroics and dominance of India—the historic eight Olympic gold medals won, a record still unbroken. &ldquo;Until Tokyo, we heard about the victories but, in the present, we were nowhere on top... we never saw a medal in hand,&rdquo; says goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, 36. That morning in Tokyo changed it all. &ldquo;We saw the love and respect hockey got,&rdquo; notes Harmanpreet Singh, 28, the current captain and part of the bronze-winning team. Eleven members of that squad are headed to Paris and they don&rsquo;t intend to return empty-handed. Says Sreejesh, &ldquo;Once you taste success, you know what to do to make it happen again and achieve the target.&rdquo; Adds Harmanpreet, &ldquo;There is pressure to do well and come back with a medal. You want to do better. You have to keep achieving.&rdquo;</p><figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-entity">
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<figcaption>Harmanpreet Singh (left) and P.R. Sreejesh</figcaption>
</figure></p><p>What the Tokyo Games did was revive the average sports fan&rsquo;s relationship with the national sport. For those who have followed the story, the result wasn&rsquo;t a flash in the pan but a milestone years in the making. A new patron helped—the Odisha government began taking an active role in supporting the sport. More investment in grassroots development, stadiums with the latest facilities, more international competitions hosted and the inclusion of scientific and technical support like video analysis—all of it helped the sport grow. A member of Team India for 22 years now, Sreejesh has seen that evolution up close. &ldquo;The equipment changed, rules changed, venues and audiences changed, how fast the game is played changed,&rdquo; he says.</p><p>At the Sports Authority of India&rsquo;s facility in Bengaluru, the team&rsquo;s base camp before they left for Europe in early July for a team-bonding activity in Switzerland and then for a training camp in the Netherlands, the mood was upbeat, the competition healthy and the training intense. &ldquo;Khana kha ke bed hi dikhta hai (We only see the bed after a meal),&rdquo; says Harmanpreet. &ldquo;Harek player ek doosre ko push kar raha hai (We all are pushing each other), be it conditioning, recovery, in gym... Everyone is taking an initiative. Even if we are tired, we know that once we have a medal, all this pain will be accounted for.&rdquo; Sreejesh revealed that he was saving Harmanpreet&rsquo;s much-feared drag flicks, which was boosting his confidence, while the captain spoke about how he was getting a few past the two-time FIH Goalkeeper of the Year. The decorated duo often carries the weight of expectations. Says Harmanpreet, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so much trust and belief invested in you, you have to set an example both on and off the field and improve on a day-to-day basis.&rdquo;</p><div data-embed-button="ckeditor_image" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.image" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="29a98107-e46b-4f56-b0ac-f84b229696d3" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"><article class="media media--type-ckeditor-image media--view-mode-image">
  
      
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</div></p><p>For Paris, coach Craig Fulton has assembled a squad where players are expected to be flexible enough to cover two positions when needed. It means the experienced Manpreet Singh, a centre-half in midfield traditionally, serves in defence; Harmanpreet defends and is the central drag-flicker, and vice-captain Hardik Singh, also FIH Men&rsquo;s Player of the Year in 2023, can be seen in all positions barring goalkeeper. Competing in his fourth Olympics, Sreejesh is the lynchpin, the opposing team&rsquo;s worst nightmare come true. His ability to hold his position for two decades is noteworthy. &ldquo;If a goalkeeper makes one mistake, it is visible. Win or lose is in his hands and feet,&rdquo; notes Sreejesh. &ldquo;I always try to become better than yesterday. I take responsibility for my team. I always feel that because of my mistake, my team and the country shouldn&rsquo;t suffer.&rdquo; He hasn&rsquo;t given much to complain about in the past few years.</p><p>After the Men in Blue ended a 13-year drought for an ICC World Cup trophy, a viral message touched on the coincidence of how each World Cup win featured a &ldquo;Mallu&rdquo; in the squad; Sanju Samson, in this case. Sreejesh, the lone &ldquo;Mallu&rdquo; for four editions now, saw the message, and the nail-biting final too. &ldquo;We always try to learn from other sports. It taught us that one over, one moment [is enough], we snatched the victory from them,&rdquo; he says. The Men in Blue at the Olympics will be hoping for a like moment.</p><div id="lrcmtcont"></div><div class="end_story">- Ends</div><div class="dottedimg"></div><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Aditya Mohan Wig</div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Jul 19, 2024</div></div></div><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div id="tab-video-wrapper-plugin"><div class="end_story_embed_label">Must Watch</div><amp-iframe height="365" title="" width="648" layout="responsive" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fembed.indiatoday.in%2Fshare%2Fvideo%2Fconclave-2024%2Fvideo%2FMjUxNTg2Mg%3D%3D%3Fnative%3Dend" class="mrBt15"> </amp-iframe></div></div>

cover-story

Cover Story

India@Paris2024

<p><span style="color:#c0392b;"><strong>Indian Men&rsquo;s Hockey Team</strong></span></p><p><strong style="color: var(--colorGinText);">Sport:</strong><span style="color: var(--colorGinText);"> Hockey</span></p><p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Bronze at Tokyo 2020 Games</p><p><strong>How they qualified:</strong> Won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games</p><div class="itemcenter"><iframe scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="62" awidth="320" aheight="62" amplayout="fixed" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014" class="preferred-source-banner" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><style>.preferred-source-banner{  margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}</style></p><p><span style="color:#c0392b;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 58px;">S</span></strong></span></span>n August 5, 2021, a nation rejoiced and heaved a sigh of relief. The 41-year wait for an Olympic medal in hockey was finally over. Generations had grown up hearing of the heroics and dominance of India—the historic eight Olympic gold medals won, a record still unbroken. &ldquo;Until Tokyo, we heard about the victories but, in the present, we were nowhere on top... we never saw a medal in hand,&rdquo; says goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, 36. That morning in Tokyo changed it all. &ldquo;We saw the love and respect hockey got,&rdquo; notes Harmanpreet Singh, 28, the current captain and part of the bronze-winning team. Eleven members of that squad are headed to Paris and they don&rsquo;t intend to return empty-handed. Says Sreejesh, &ldquo;Once you taste success, you know what to do to make it happen again and achieve the target.&rdquo; Adds Harmanpreet, &ldquo;There is pressure to do well and come back with a medal. You want to do better. You have to keep achieving.&rdquo;</p><figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-entity">
<div data-embed-button="ckeditor_image" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.image" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="92c81165-0162-48c5-9535-d8f9e9950df7" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"><article class="media media--type-ckeditor-image media--view-mode-image">
  
      
            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <div class="itgimage"><img  height="500"  title=""  width="770"  class="image-style-medium-crop-simple" alt="" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Findiatoday%2Fstyles%2Fmedium_crop_simple%2Fpublic%2F2024-07%2Fhockey_2.jpg%3FVersionId%3Dsp5KWzUIMzHOqAAObETdw2Tcx54GWVPO%5Cu0026size%3D750:*" loading="lazy" /></div>


</div>
      
  </article>
</div>

<figcaption>Harmanpreet Singh (left) and P.R. Sreejesh</figcaption>
</figure></p><p>What the Tokyo Games did was revive the average sports fan&rsquo;s relationship with the national sport. For those who have followed the story, the result wasn&rsquo;t a flash in the pan but a milestone years in the making. A new patron helped—the Odisha government began taking an active role in supporting the sport. More investment in grassroots development, stadiums with the latest facilities, more international competitions hosted and the inclusion of scientific and technical support like video analysis—all of it helped the sport grow. A member of Team India for 22 years now, Sreejesh has seen that evolution up close. &ldquo;The equipment changed, rules changed, venues and audiences changed, how fast the game is played changed,&rdquo; he says.</p><p>At the Sports Authority of India&rsquo;s facility in Bengaluru, the team&rsquo;s base camp before they left for Europe in early July for a team-bonding activity in Switzerland and then for a training camp in the Netherlands, the mood was upbeat, the competition healthy and the training intense. &ldquo;Khana kha ke bed hi dikhta hai (We only see the bed after a meal),&rdquo; says Harmanpreet. &ldquo;Harek player ek doosre ko push kar raha hai (We all are pushing each other), be it conditioning, recovery, in gym... Everyone is taking an initiative. Even if we are tired, we know that once we have a medal, all this pain will be accounted for.&rdquo; Sreejesh revealed that he was saving Harmanpreet&rsquo;s much-feared drag flicks, which was boosting his confidence, while the captain spoke about how he was getting a few past the two-time FIH Goalkeeper of the Year. The decorated duo often carries the weight of expectations. Says Harmanpreet, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so much trust and belief invested in you, you have to set an example both on and off the field and improve on a day-to-day basis.&rdquo;</p><div data-embed-button="ckeditor_image" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.image" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="29a98107-e46b-4f56-b0ac-f84b229696d3" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"><article class="media media--type-ckeditor-image media--view-mode-image">
  
      
            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <div class="itgimage"><img  height="500"  title=""  width="770"  class="image-style-medium-crop-simple" alt="" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Findiatoday%2Fstyles%2Fmedium_crop_simple%2Fpublic%2F2024-07%2Fhockey_3.jpg%3FVersionId%3DuKFtIpoELduYbyypnh_ld3W430vanYcY%5Cu0026size%3D750:*" loading="lazy" /></div>


</div>
      
  </article>
</div></p><p>For Paris, coach Craig Fulton has assembled a squad where players are expected to be flexible enough to cover two positions when needed. It means the experienced Manpreet Singh, a centre-half in midfield traditionally, serves in defence; Harmanpreet defends and is the central drag-flicker, and vice-captain Hardik Singh, also FIH Men&rsquo;s Player of the Year in 2023, can be seen in all positions barring goalkeeper. Competing in his fourth Olympics, Sreejesh is the lynchpin, the opposing team&rsquo;s worst nightmare come true. His ability to hold his position for two decades is noteworthy. &ldquo;If a goalkeeper makes one mistake, it is visible. Win or lose is in his hands and feet,&rdquo; notes Sreejesh. &ldquo;I always try to become better than yesterday. I take responsibility for my team. I always feel that because of my mistake, my team and the country shouldn&rsquo;t suffer.&rdquo; He hasn&rsquo;t given much to complain about in the past few years.</p><p>After the Men in Blue ended a 13-year drought for an ICC World Cup trophy, a viral message touched on the coincidence of how each World Cup win featured a &ldquo;Mallu&rdquo; in the squad; Sanju Samson, in this case. Sreejesh, the lone &ldquo;Mallu&rdquo; for four editions now, saw the message, and the nail-biting final too. &ldquo;We always try to learn from other sports. It taught us that one over, one moment [is enough], we snatched the victory from them,&rdquo; he says. The Men in Blue at the Olympics will be hoping for a like moment.</p><div id="lrcmtcont"></div><div class="end_story">- Ends</div><div class="dottedimg"></div><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Aditya Mohan Wig</div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Jul 19, 2024</div></div></div><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div id="tab-video-wrapper-plugin"><div class="end_story_embed_label">Must Watch</div><iframe  height="365"  title=""  width="648"  layout="responsive" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fembed.indiatoday.in%2Fshare%2Fvideo%2Fconclave-2024%2Fvideo%2FMjUxNTg2Mg%3D%3D%3Fnative%3D1" loading="lazy" class="multy-video-iframe" > </iframe></div></div>

The team qualified for Paris 2024 by winning the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games

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Men's Hockey | Chasing a higher goal

The team qualified for Paris 2024 by winning the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games

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