India failed to win a gold medal in Paris, but the 32-year-old Manpreet acknowledged that earning a second straight bronze medal is a noteworthy achievement.
India, who have won the Olympic hockey gold eight times, managed to claim the bronze medal in Paris by defeating Spain 2-1 in the third-place playoff match.
“Feeling really good. The last time we won the bronze and we won bronze this time as well. The mindset of the team was to play in the final but that slipped out of our grasp, but we won the bronze and feel really good receiving all this love,” the attacking midfielder told PTI Videos upon team’s arrival back home.
The senior member of the squad commended the team’s resilience and mental strength during their quarterfinal match against Britain. Despite being reduced to 10 men for 43 minutes following Amit Rohidas’s controversial red card, the team showcased remarkable determination in their defence.
The closely contested encounter culminated in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, which the team ultimately won. However, their quest for gold came to an end in the semifinals, where they suffered a defeat against Germany.
“We train for these kind of moments. If someone gets a green card or a yellow card, how to defend, but we did not think that we would get the red card. It was not the fault of Amit Rohidas. But unfortunately he got the red card.
“The defensive mindset of the team was good, and the way everyone defended was brilliant. We did not allow them to create easy opportunities. They created penalty corners and we defended those as well,” he said.
Manpreet, who was the skipper of the Indian team that secured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, expressed his admiration for PR Sreejesh, the veteran goalkeeper who concluded his remarkable 18-year journey in the sport at the Paris Olympics.
However, he confirmed that he has no such immediate plans and still has a lot of hockey left in him.
“That (LA Olympics) is far away from us now. I will concentrate on my fitness. If everything goes well, I will continue till 2028; if not let us see,” he said.
On Sreejesh, Manpreet said: “What can I say about him! I have spent 13 years with him. He was my senior and he guided me; from 2012 to 2023 he guided me. Even when I was captain, he supported me as to what we have to do and what not to do, what is good and what is not,” he said.
“He would always motivate me. As a person he is great and as a player he is a legend. He has done well in life and in his career. I will miss him because he is like a big brother to me.”
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