Former greats hail Indian hockey team’s magnificent bronze medal effort

Rupinder, Sreejesh and Raghunath were vital in the team’s landmark achievement

There was an outpouring of ecstasy among the Indian hockey fans not just at the Sardar Vallabbhai Patel International Stadium in Raipur but also across the globe, as India after teetering on the brink of settling outside a podium finish pulled off a ‘remarkable come-from-behind triumph’ over world number two and defending world league champions the Netherlands.

The Indians won a pulsating shootout 8-7 after both teams were locked 5-5 after 60 minutes of mouth-watering hockey. For years, the Indian team have been known to throw in the towel if they concede an early goal or are unable to avoid leaking goals in the dying moments of a game.

But Sunday was a day to serve a telling statement that this team has truly arrived on the brutally competitive top-notch world hockey stage. The manner in which they clawed their way back first after trailing 0-2 at half-time and then again in the shootout when they missed their first two attempts will infuse hope that the Sardar Singh-led side is beginning to show the mental toughness that was missing all these years.

It was India’s first medal in a FIH-sanctioned event since the 1982 Champions Trophy. Former Indian forward and son of legendary Dhyan Chand – Ashok Kumar – who scored the winning goal in the India’s 1975 World Cup win in Kuala Lumpur was elated with the team’s fighting performance.

“It was a wonderful effort by the boys. Full marks to them. The way they fought back after trailing 0-2 speaks volumes about their tenacity. The whole team deserve big pats on their backs. The win makes me remember our World Cup-winning days of 1975”, said Kumar.

The four-time World Cupper agrees that the team will have to work hard as expectations will rise after this great win. “The team will have to keep working hard as people will have more expectations from this team, which is a good augury for Indian hockey.”

Former Indian captain, centre-forward and Star Sports commentator Jagbir Singh terms it a big moment for Indian hockey. “It’s a historic moment for Indian hockey – a podium finish after a gap of 33 years is richly deserved. We have beaten the reigning world league champions and we all saw India come fighting back not just in regulation time but also in the shootout.”

Jagbir stopped short of making predictions for the Rio Olympics. “It’s too early to dwell on that but yes, the team is looking good to surprise most teams at Rio. We have shown that we are capable of upsetting the applecart of any side on any given day if we play to our full potential.” Surely, this momentous achievement will lift Indian hockey to new heights.