Huge wave of celebration in India as men’s hockey team win first medal in 41 years

The eight-time Olympics champions ended a 41-year jinx since 1980

A wave of celebration has gripped India after the men’s hockey team made a roaring return to the podium after 41 years amid an overall tepid performance of the country at the Tokyo Olympics.

India beat Germany 5-4 in a nail-biting match to claim Olympic bronze on Thursday after they lost two matches against Australia and Belgium.

The remarkable moment for the country had its prime minister, president, Olympians, and celebrities heaping praise for the team, many calling it a “historic” win.

At the Oi hockey stadium in Tokyo, the scenes were emotional as tears of joy rolled down the eyes of the players. Captain of the team Manpreet Singh broke down on the ground after the winning goal.

The victory is being savoured even more as it came after 41 long years and in what is seen as reclaiming of lost pride as India once dominated hockey with 11 Olympics medal haul, including eight gold medals. India did not win even a single medal in men’s hockey in Moscow in 1980.

Narendra Modi made a surprise call to Singh soon after the team won, and they were sitting with head coach Graham Reid.

"Many, many congratulations to you and the entire team, you have made history. The entire country is filled with joy. Your hard work has paid off. You have done a lot of hard work, please wish the entire side on my behalf,” Mr Modi was heard saying in the video.

“The entire country is happy, congratulations coach Reid, you have created history. My best wishes are with you," he added.

Former Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar called it “fantastic hard fought win” while Gautam Gambhir said the feat is “bigger than any World Cup.”

Anurag Thakur, newly appointed sports minister, said: “Our Men’s Hockey Team dominated and defined their destiny in the Olympic history books today, yet again !”

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, who played the role of coach of India’s women's hockey team in Chak De! India, a movie based on hockey, also congratulated the team for their resilience.

Former captain of the Indian hockey team Viren Rasquinh said he might “cry later” as the victory means so much to Indian hockey.

India’s journey to bronze in today’s match however was not a smooth ride. It was a neck-to-neck match with Germany taking the lead running early on before India made a spectacular return, tying it up at 3-3. India scored twice to go 5-3 up and then had to hold out at 5-4 for more than 12 minutes, down to a nail-biting finish.

The bronze has been added to India’s rich haul of gold medals at the Olympics which came in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980.

The team captain dedicated the medal to frontline workers and doctors in India as the country is still reeling with the waning second wave that put an immense strain on healthcare and took a heavy toll.

“This medal is for all the Covid-19 warriors and the frontline workers of our country,” said skipper Singh after the match.

About the game play, he said: “...we didn’t give up. We kept fighting back. It’s a great feeling, best feeling. We came here for the gold, we won bronze, it is still a great thing. It’s a great moment for all hockey fans.”