Paris, France, August 4, 2024: India’s men’s hockey team qualified for the Olympic Games semi-finals by beating Great Britain 4-2 in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in their quarter-final at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Sunday.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh opened the scoring for India in the 22nd minute - but not before a setback for the Indian team. In the 17th minute, defender Amit Rohidas received a red card after he intentionally raised his hockey stick in a dangerous position in the face of Great Britain player William Calnan.
India’s lead came through a penalty corner from Harmanpreet Singh but their advantage lasted for just five minutes as Lee Morton equalized for Britain in the 27th minute. As a result of Rohidas’ red card, the Indians were down to 10 men for more than 40 minutes of the contest.
In the shoot-out, Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay and Raj Kumar Pal all scored for India.
Goalie PR Sreejesh was the hero of the hour, saving 11 out of 12 shots for 92 per cent efficiency, comprised of 7/8 field goals and 4/4 penalty corners, plus one save in the shoot-out.
Joyous Indian media described PR Sreejesh’s masterclass as “The Wall of India”, “The Saviour” and “like a rock” as India stayed on course to match or better their bronze medal from Tokyo 2020.
Sreejesh's emotions overflowed as he made the crucial save. Unable to contain his joy, he celebrated in a comical fashion, jumping up and down while seated on the turf, The Times of India reported.
The shoot-out hero said it was the “daily job of a goalie.”
“Some days it's a different effort - today is our day. Even in the shoot-out, the guys who took shots didn't disappoint," he told the broadcaster after India's stunning win.
"They scored and that gave me enough confidence," the Indian goalkeeper said.
The semi-finals are on Tuesday, August 6.