NEW DELHI: The Indian men’s hockey team secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Ireland in their third Pool B match at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, strengthening their position in the highly competitive group.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh emerged as the decisive factor, converting both a penalty stroke and a penalty corner to secure the win for India.
This victory follows India’s initial 3-2 win against New Zealand and a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Argentina.Unlike the previous matches, India adopted an aggressive approach from the outset against Ireland, earning a penalty corner within the first two minutes. While Harmanpreet’s initial attempt was unsuccessful, India maintained the pressure.
The breakthrough came in the 11th minute when Gurjant Singh intercepted the ball in midfield and initiated a swift counter-attack.
Connecting with Mandeep Singh, the duo penetrated the Irish circle, forcing a foul from the Irish defence and resulting in a penalty stroke for India. Harmanpreet capitalized on the opportunity, confidently converting the stroke to give India a 1-0 lead.
India’s dominance continued, earning back-to-back penalty corners in the 19th minute. Harmanpreet stepped up once again, successfully converting the second attempt to extend India’s lead to 2-0.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh emerged as the decisive factor, converting both a penalty stroke and a penalty corner to secure the win for India.
This victory follows India’s initial 3-2 win against New Zealand and a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Argentina.Unlike the previous matches, India adopted an aggressive approach from the outset against Ireland, earning a penalty corner within the first two minutes. While Harmanpreet’s initial attempt was unsuccessful, India maintained the pressure.
The breakthrough came in the 11th minute when Gurjant Singh intercepted the ball in midfield and initiated a swift counter-attack.
Connecting with Mandeep Singh, the duo penetrated the Irish circle, forcing a foul from the Irish defence and resulting in a penalty stroke for India. Harmanpreet capitalized on the opportunity, confidently converting the stroke to give India a 1-0 lead.
India’s dominance continued, earning back-to-back penalty corners in the 19th minute. Harmanpreet stepped up once again, successfully converting the second attempt to extend India’s lead to 2-0.
The Indian defence, anchored by experienced players, effectively neutralized Ireland’s attempts to counter, maintaining a clean sheet throughout the match.
This victory places India in a favourable position within Pool B, setting the stage for two challenging encounters. They will face the reigning Olympic champions, Belgium, on Thursday, followed by a clash against hockey powerhouse Australia on Friday.
The outcomes of these matches will be crucial in determining India’s final standing in the pool and their subsequent path in the knockout stages of the tournament.
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