In a nail-biting start, the Indian hockey team began their Olympic campaign with a win over New Zealand at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Saturday. The men in blue defeated New Zealand 3-2 in their opening match at Paris Olympics 2024, securing three points with the victory.
After trailing the Black Sticks in the first quarter, Mandeep Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad helped India score two goals, bringing the score to 2-1. Later, in the fourth quarter, a goal from the Kiwis levelled the score. However, a foul by the New Zealand team led to a penalty stroke, which was taken by captain Harmanpreet Singh. He scored, giving India a 3-2 lead, which turned into the win.
New Zealand dominated the game in the initial minutes. Sam Lane scored a goal in the 8th minute with the help of a penalty corner. After this, New Zealand continued to push for another goal in the quarter, but India’s defence managed to block their efforts.
Goal in the second quarter
In the second half, India adjusted their strategy and made some quick changes, which led to a goal in the 24th minute. The team successfully converted a penalty corner into a goal. Later, New Zealand requested a referral from the referee, which proved unsuccessful.
Shortly after halftime, in the 34th minute, midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad gave India the lead with a close-range goal. Despite India’s strong defence in the fourth quarter, Sreejesh failed to clear a rebound, allowing New Zealand to equalise.
The magic from the captain
The Indians seemed to be settling for a draw, but in a surprising turn of events in the 59th minute, a foul by the New Zealander led to a penalty stroke. Captain Harmanpreet Singh took the stroke and scored, giving India a 3-2 lead.
Placed in Pool B, India is currently in third place, behind Belgium and Australia. The team will play their next match against Argentina on Monday, July 29th. The top four teams from Pool B will advance to the quarterfinals.
